


Prospect

by Guysajer



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, What if they never married
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:47:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 49,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22922824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guysajer/pseuds/Guysajer
Summary: What if Goku and Chi-Chi never married after the 23rd tournament, but remained friends. The five years of fun and friendship always left Chi-Chi wanting and Goku confused as they were always drawn together. Their paths always seemed to cross until Goku invited her to join him to a reunion back on Kame Island.
Relationships: Chi-Chi/Son Goku (Dragon Ball)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

Chi-Chi realized upon speaking with Goku at the world’s martial arts tournament that he wasn’t… husband material. Whatever fanciful girlish admiration and desires she once had were quashed by the realization that Goku really wasn’t marriage material. Sure he was attractive and strong, but that didn’t mean it outweighed all the foreseeable problems. So she changed her mind, she was a woman after all. It didn’t mean she was going to just ‘forget’ about everything, because she started to hate Goku. No, she just knew that trying to corral a free spirit like that just might not be the best thing for the both of them. 

So, she elected to not remind him of his promise, but instead chose to remain friends. Goku had a lot of people who enjoyed his company but none would ever hold his affections. Goku was too nice, but also slow when it came to things like feminie advances or subtle hints. She probably doubted Goku knew even what sex was, that was his charm and repellent at the same time. She wanted to marry a man who would love her, not be so blindingly obvious to basic social cues. As it was the two kept things amicable, Chi-Chi smiled and while she remained around the tournament grounds to see how things played out. 

Goku ended up winning, not before giving everyone who remained a heart attack but, he did win. She was also surprised to see him turn down the role as Earth’s guardian and protector, jumping onto Nimbus and taking off for his next big adventure.  _ ‘That’s Goku for you.’  _

Those words were true, so Chi-Chi returned home empty handed, her pride damaged and unmarried. However, she felt lighter there was no impossible standard she set herself too, her life had been to push herself into being a perfect wife to her childhood crush.

If she had expected that to be the end of her interactions with Goku, she was quite mistaken. Chi-Chi decided to follow his example and just explore the world, have fun, and see what fate had in store for her. 

Five years of fun, freedom, and everything in between Chi-Chi discovered how thrilling this life that Goku had lived was. That being tied down to a single house raising a family, it just didn’t quite compare. Chi-Chi loved it and on more than dozen separate occasions she just happened to run into Goku. From exploring the massive mountain ranges that bordered Bubba’s palace. Making treks across the ocean with nothing but the heavy training clothes weighing her down. The large occasional buffett contest that Goku always seemed to appear at.

He’d often greet her before she realized he was there. Goku’s bright smile coming into her vision,  _ “Heya Chi-Chi! Oh you’re here? Wow again? Oh this is great! Want to tag along?’  _ There were so many joyful phrases that she just laughed off. Living life to the fullest, it had never been more satisfying and to share some of those moments with her good friend.

It had been even more incredible.

Until one day Goku had popped a simple question, and no it wasn’t to marry her, “Hey Chi-Chi I’m getting back together with my old friends on Kame island? Want to come with me and have a good time with Krillin, Tien, Yamcha, Bulma, and Roshi?”

“Sure Goku, sounds like fun.”

Fun… yes. It had been anything but fun.

(Present Day, the Arrival of Raditz)

“Oh hello Goku and Ox’s girl… Chi-Chi wasn’t it?” It was Roshi coming out to greet his student, finding that Goku had brought one of his  _ female  _ friends. Though he would love to get a little touchy touchy with a dazzling girl like her, it was his students daughter. That meant off limits… Bulma Briefs… well he’d cop a feel of that without regret. Goku dismounted from Nimbus with a large thud, his extra weighted clothing totally almost four hundred Kilos leaving a slight aftershock on the ground. “My oh my Goku, you haven’t slowed up on your training I see.” The old hermit chuckled as a small bead of sweat trickled down his face upon seeing the thick imprints of Goku’s footsteps.

Chi-Chi giggled, “Oh yeah, Goku couldn’t take the fact I was wearing more than him two years ago back at the tournament so he said he had to wear twice what I was wearing.” Finding it humorous as Goku had a slight difficulty with his mobility at times when wearing that cumbersome garb. While she had changed to a more practical fighting garb, ditching the Cheongsam for a long sleeve training shirt, chest weights, hip weights, and leggings with her boots bringing her total to about two hundred kilos herself. She’d never felt stronger and probably would’ve been able to best Goku back at the tournament if she was wearing this like she was now.

Krillin who had arrived earlier than the other two looked at Chi-Chi’s reaction to Goku with a bit of jealousy,  _ ‘Guy always luck with girls, sadly I haven’t gotten married yet.’  _ Yet this wasn’ the time for petty rivalry reasons and decided to just enjoy the day. “How yah doin Goku are you finally done with the whole loner bit and have company with you?” 

Goku shook his head, “Nah, Me and Chi-Chi just run into each other a lot while we’ve been training and I figured to bring someone with me and have the whole gang back together since we were last together at the tournament.” 

“Oh,” Krillin realized Goku and Chi-Chi were still friends. “Well Tien and Chaotzu couldn’t make it, they had something come up, but were still waiting on Bulma and Yamcha provided that they aren’t going to start a new break up between them.”

“Yeah, Yamcha and BUlma couldn’t ever be a couple for more than a few weeks.” Goku laughed and decided to relax with his friends and enjoy the day. Missing the oncoming presence that had arrived on Earth.

Bulma joined the party, sharing the same surprise as others to see Goku with Chi-Chi. But the heiress had learned much like the other woman here, that Goku wasn’t the type to be tied down. It was one of the reasons she had given up on any girlish notions with her oldest childhood friend. “Wow, Goku, you sure packed on the pounds.” Bulma joked as she noticed his upgraded wardrobe. Everyone else laughing in kind as they sat outside. 

“Yeah, I kind of did.” He scratched the back of his head until he looked around, “Where’s Yamcha at?” Noticing the desert bandit was clearly absent from Bulma’s company. Though he could guess the reason why he was nowhere to be found.

“Oh that two timing jerk!” Bulma said her anger at her ex-ex-ex boyfriend came roaring back like a jealous teen. “As soon as he got that dumb baseball contract he had even more girls on his phone than I’d ever thought possible!” Jealous and suspicious Bulma was not one to be trifled with, her personal insecurities not allowing for something to damage her well crafted pride and or image.

“Yep, shoulda settled down with Goku. He’d just never come back home.” Chi-Chi said smacking Goku on the back to which everyone except Bulma laughed, the blue haired Genius blushed slightly but she smiled.

“Sorry, but I can’t handle that. A girl has needs you know.” She said back to Chi-Chi who found it humorous as well. Things were going well until Bulma felt a hand caressing her ass. 

“Oh I’d never leave youuu-” Roshi’s scream echoed as he was mule kicked backwards his face skimming along the water's edge until coming to a stop.

“Perv!” Bulma said grabbing her backside like it been violated. Deciding to relocate closer to Goku and between Krillin to keep the old letch away from her precious body. Everything was going just fine until-

“Kakarot!” The voice shouting angrily as a huge presence quickly overwhelmed the small island get together. A large burly man with black hair, matching eyes stood on the island wearing a unique style of battle plate.

“Huh?” All of those sitting on the beach turned to look towards the newest arrival with confusion as he shouted the unfamiliar name. “Who’s that?” Bulma said not knowing his name, but Krillin and Chi-Chi shrugged as well. “Got me?” “I don’t know him.”

Growling the man stalked forwards. “Kakarot you blasted fool what are you doing? Why isn’t this planet purged like you were instructed to do?”

“Instructed? Who are you?” Goku said confused as the other man just growled in irritation. His response clearly to his immense displeasure and growing agitation. “Do I know you?”

“Of course you do moron!” The man snapped, then from behind his back like a whip cracking came his tail. “I’m your fucking older brother! I’m Raditz, how the hell do you not know who I am Kakarot!?” Radtitz couldn’t believe this, his brother failing and two that he couldn’t even tell that he was his own flesh and blood. It was disgraceful for a saiyan.

Those not related to the new arrival looked at Raditz, then to Goku. Bulma was the first to speak up about what she saw. “Goku. He does look like you.” The face had obvious similarities, then count the crazy hair, black eyes and then the biggest tell was that brown tail. “He even has your tail.”

Chi-Chi blinked, “She’s right. He does have your tail.”

Goku didn’t want to admit it but both of the girls were right, not because he felt foolish but because of the evil aura that he was feeling from his ‘brother’. Raditz was clearly not a good person. Yet he was here now, “What do you want Raditz?”

Raditz bared his teeth, an animalistic snarl making Roshi and Bulma back up in fright. “What the hell do you mean what do I want? Kakarot have you not heard a single fucking word I said?” Was his brother damaged? The thought quickly filled him with shame, that his brother was a broken little saiyan then- “Wait where the fuck is your tail?”

“My tail?” Goku replied looking back to where his good friend has once been. “I haven’t had my tail in a long time since it was removed.”

Raditz almost lost it,  _ ‘that explained everything!’  _ With fury in his eyes Raditz told his broken, weak, and tailless brother the truth. Of his origins as a saiyan warrior, their brief history and the rise and fall of their people. And why he was here to retrieve Kakarot, though it was becoming comical of a plan to bring back a weak saiyan to Prince Vegeta. Tailless, spineless, and good.  _ ‘Kakarot is nothing like he is supposed to be.’  _

  
Then followed up by Roshi confirming that Goku had been found in a space capsule outside and that the injury he sustained to his head had caused Goku’s shift from a childhood terror into the boy and now man he had become now thanks to being raised by Gohan.

Running a bit low on patience Raditz decided to lay out his ultimatum. “Alright Kakarot you want to redeem yourself. Kill one million humans on this planet, do this and I may reconsider letting you join our ranks.”

“WHAT!?” Chi-Chi shouted. “Goku would never do that, he’s not a monster like you!” After hearing all of the barbaric acts committed by these ‘saiyans’ that Goku apparently was, in her mind Goku would never be like that. He wasn’t violent, murderous of the sort. 

“Hah, you don’t know a thing, but how could you?” He chuckled licking his lips as he eyed the black haired woman.  _ Appetizing,  _ was the thought,  _ very appetizing,  _

“No Chi-Chi!” Goku told her as she lunged for him first, her fist swung but she completely missed, “NO-!” He saw Raditz hit her with an elbow into the back dropping her to the ground her face buried in the sand. She moved to get up but Raditz planted a boot on top of her head and began to push down. Her face was buried in sand where air was at a premium.

“Tenacity, but that’s it. Now choke on your-” Raditz didn’t get to finish as Goku shoulder charged him. The two rolling overtop of each other as Goku tried to grapple with his ‘brother’ The heavy weights slowing him more than enough for the other saiyan to capitalize on such an obvious advantage.

Chi-Chi spat out sand from her mouth only to see Goku punched in the stomach, the pain was evident dropping Goku straight to his knees. Then Raditz’s hand grabbed him by the back of the hand and raised his face up to be crushed by a knee straight in the face. Blood spurted outwards from Goku’s nose as his nose was broken. 

Goku was then kicked backwards plowing into the side of the building with a thunderous crash. Krillin was the next to attempt to jump in but a swat of Raditz tail blasted him through the roof of Kame house and landed with a crash in the ocean waters. “Weaklings, I can’t say I am impressed.” Raditz mocked smirking victoriously only to move as Chi-Chi’s fist just barely scraped the side of his face leaving the faintest red mark on his tan skin. “Ooh so close.” He taunted before catching Chi-Chi with a knee to the gut, she went upwards and then found Raditz already in the air his foot quickly driving her back into the ground. SHe screamed in pain as her body was wracked with painful spikes that streaked from her toes to the tips of her hair. She’d never been so crippled so easily.

Goku tried to pull himself up but his head was spinning, blood streaming down his face as Bulma and Roshi tried to help him but Raditz’s voice just laughed at the sight of his brother struggling. “There’s just maybe enough potential in you brother that I could find some way of redeeming your sorry state as a saiyan.” Raditz reached down and grabbed Chi-Chi by the hair and lifted her up. Her screams made Goku’s teeth grit as he tried to rise up but fell to a knee. “No… NO let her go.” He was seeing double but he wasn’t going to be put down. He wasn’t going to just quit, now while his friend was suffering right there.

“Oh?” Raditz lifted Chi-Chi by the neck now bringing her up to his face. “You like this one don’t you?” Bringing his nose to her neck Raditz inhaled her scent, there was a trace of his brother on her.  _ Little brother has at least a taste in women.  _ That was the only positive so far, “What are you going to do if I don’t?” The years of practiced degrading humiliation as he took many men’s wives in front of them, nothing destroyed a person more than a woman who a man cared for and with his little brother’s reaction he knew how to drive that dagger just harder. “Why don’t you want me touching these?” His hand cupped Chi-Chi’s chest making her wail in protest as he roughly fondled her through her training shirt. Watching his brother rise up again only to fall back,  _ ‘Spirit, determination, you won’t let me have her. Oh this will work indeed.’  _ “Maybe this?” Radtiz let his tongue roll out and slide along her face until he brought her face towards his. “Come on Kakarot, don’t you want to protect your woman?”

Goku saw Chi-Chi her face twisted in pain, but the revulsion in her body language, her hands feebly pushing at his brother’s chest as he forces his lips over hers. Kissing Chi-Chi against her will, making his friend suffer! Goku made a light push his fist coming back but was caught, the attack was only to get him to stop doing that to her. Raditz held his brother’s fist before wrenching it in such a way that Goku was brought to his knees in pain. The painful grip unable to be overcome no matter his strength. 

“I could crush your hand brother, but that wouldn’t let you murder these humans any better. So I’ll give you a day, just twenty four hours to murder at least a full cities worth of humans. Do that and I promise I won’t rape this woman to death and make you watch.” Raditz had his brother by the balls, “So you better get started if you ever want to touch this piece of ass again, but don’t make me wait too long or I might just have to fuck her before then.” 

“No. LET HER GO!” Goku cried out but Raditz just tossed him backwards. Hauling Chi-Chi up and over his shoulder. “To the victor go the spoils…” His eyes looked towards the blue haired woman. His tongue sweeping out in another lewd grin. “Maybe I’ll find you later.” Watching Bulma’s fear spike he laughed more than satisfied with the work he had done. “Remember Kakarot, twenty four hours and don’t worry about me keeping my end of the bargain. I haven’t fucked anything in almost a year so I promise that she’ll get a pounding the likes of which you’ve never seen.” He cackled just forcing that salt ever deeper into the wound of his brother’s partially missing saiyan pride. But that of a man,  _ I know that hurt I am actually hoping though that you do let me down…  _ Dark intentions aside he blasted off with Chi-Chi leaving Goku to only raise up a hand as the face of his friend pleaded for him to help. Begging him to come and save her from this horrific fate.

But he collapsed backwards almost blacking out…

{***]

Goku was still barely clinging onto consciousness when he felt something slip into his mouth. A voice beside him speaking words he wanted to hear, “Goku it’s a senzu bean.” Though it took more effort than he’d like he took two large chomps before swallowing the bean. The restorative effect hitting him quickly as Goku’s eyes popped back open, his pain while lingering did not hurt the mental anguish was not going to abate him. “NIMBUS!” Goku cried out as he pushed out of Bulma’s hands. One hand grabbing his stomach, Goku was grabbed again by Bulma and Roshi.

“Goku,” “Boy what do you think you’re going to do?” Both of them questioned him trying to stop him from doing the obvious.

He shrugged off their hands, his blood boiling, the defeat painful was not as bad as seeing Chi-Chi’s pleading face calling out to him and he just laid there like a fucking log.  _ ‘I won’t forgive myself! I won’t!’  _ He screamed but his teacher thumped him with his cane.

“Goku calm down you’re being irrational!”

He shot his teacher an angry glare, his teeth snapping at the old man with enough force to make his long time mentor let go out of fear. The saiyan in him and been awoken quite visibly for all to see. “I don’t care, he won’t hurt her. I won’t let my friend be… I Won’t let Chi-Chi be raped!” 

Bulma could understand that rationale perfectly, she didn’t want that to happen to Chi-Chi either. “Goku, were not saying to not help her. But you have to think this through. He just beat you, Krillin, and Chi-Chi and he was barely trying. If you go there now what do you think will happen? Do you think that monster will let you get off like that?” Ignoring his burning gaze with the sight of tears beginning to form, his emotions were beyond his regular and rational control. “You could die if you don’t have a plan Goku then what will Chi-Chi do? Stop and think, I know it’s hard but you have too.”

_ ‘They’re right, I know it. But… BUT!’  _ “I Can’t!” This was irrational behavior but he didn’t care. “I’d do the same thing if it were you Bulma now just let me go to her!”

Krillin saw that there was little he could actually say to stop Goku knew he could offer him something. “Goku,” He said struggling to even lift his back his body was just tearing him up with pain. “Look I have two more senzu’s if you use these then you can probably beat him.” The key word ‘probably’ but even then Krillin would give it 50/50. As he tossed Goku the bag, a green arm which appeared from nowhere grabbed the brown bag. 

  
“PICCOLO!” Bulma, Krillin, and Roshi said shocked to see him appearing, Goku was too lost to even notice it either but he didn’t react in shock. He was angry, no he was furious. He’d never wanted to hurt someone as bad as he did right now. 

“You go there now Goku, you die.” Piccolo said with a snort, “Though I’d love to see you dead, that’s still my job.”

Goku stalked forwards ready to hit Piccolo and take the beans but surprisingly Piccolo held out the bag to him in a surprising gesture. “I didn’t come here to fight, in fact quite the opposite.” Using his reflexes Goku snatched the bag back from him. 

“What do you want then?” Goku said his own aura becoming difficult to control. 

“What do I want?” Piccolo’s smirk turned serious. “What I want is a truce.”

“What!?” The other three said, “A truce? You of all people Piccolo want a truce?” Bulma almost gaffed at the mere idea. Krillin and Roshi nodded in agreement with her, this didn’t make any sense.

“Stop thinking like idiots for a moment, that guy,” not sure what to call the man who had almost outright humiliated him before coming and breaking Goku had shown him a power that made the great King Piccolo fearful. It was pathetic to be sure, but there was an opportunity to be had here.  _ ‘One get rid of the unneeded guest, and two kill Goku after or mid process so long as my victory is assured.’  _ “I want to team up, me and you against-”

“THat’s my  _ brother,”  _ Goku’s voice was sick just saying that word. “Raditz. He’s an alien.”

“No shit, Son Goku. What gave that part away.” Piccolo said tersely, “Forget his stupid name and his bloodline, me and you work together and kill the son of a bitch. We both win in this ordeal. He’s dead and no threat to my plans, and you get your female friend back.” All in all this was a good deal though Piccolo was the one who could benefit the most from it. Three birds, one stone so to speak, he knew the girl could be a speed bump on his road to world domination, and he’d learned to quash someone before it became an issue. That was a lesson he’d learned from his father, letting Goku escape and not take the appropriate action against him and his friends had been the reason that his father had failed. There would be no repeats. “So, the question is will you agree?”

Goku looked at Piccolo and though he didn’t want to say that he was right, this was a case of one monster versus an even bigger monster and one that had time becoming of the essence. “I agree,” 

“Goku?” Bulma said concerned. “Are you sure about that Goku?” Roshi added in. He didn’t trust Piccolo as he was young. 

“I don’t have a choice, if it means saving Chi-Chi then I’ll do it.” Piccolo gave him a grin, offering him a hand the two strongest men on the planet, save Raditz shook on their temporary truce. “Just for killing your brother, once he’s dead this alliance is over. Got it Goku?”

“I know, you wouldn’t hesitate to take the easy way out.” Goku’s words were meant to be insulting but Piccolo just widened his grin. “World domination comes second to my revenge against you.” He responded to his bitter enemy. Though right now they had a more important detail.

“Now, let’s go. I doubt he’ll expect me and you on a quick counter attack and I’ve actually been working on something special that just might be able to end him if I get the chance to use it.”

With that the two broke their deadlock gaze on one another and blasted off after Raditz. Goku prayed that he would get there before anything happened to Chi-Chi. Discovering the cruelty of men and women as he had traveled the world these past five years…  _ ‘Push it from your mind, you have a focus and that is saving your friend.’  _ Yet the images were not far from his the recesses of his mind.

In the meantime…

Raditz dumped Chi-Chi onto the ground in front of his ship. “Still got some fight left in you?” He chuckled putting his foot onto her back pinning her down as she still struggled to get onto her feet, or in a position where she wasn’t at his complete mercy.

“So tell me mate of my brother, what skills do you possess that has my brother’s affections. I can see that you’ve got quite the figure,” His voice rumbled out into a low purr of approval. The shape of her ass, the healthy bust, black hair, and dark colored eyes. “Yes, you certainly fill all the quotas for a nice healthy bitch.” Though tempted as he might be…  _ ‘putting my dick inside of my brother’s fuck hole is too low even for me. I do not accept my brothers' sloppy seconds.’  _ He had some standards and just violating her after his brother had his own dick in there just seemed pathetic.  _ ‘No telling how many times my brother’s parked in there and what kind of earth crotch rot exists out here. The planet is called fucking dirt.’  _

“Fuck you asshole.” Chi-Chi spat back only making Raditz laugh. She was still weak having her body trying to recover but the hit he had done overloaded her nervous system in a way she couldn’t explain. She felt herself able to move, but the limbs felt like pieces of rubber. Responding slowly and flimsily at best. 

Even if she were in fighting shape she just couldn't’ just into the air and expect to flee, no doubt Raditz could overmatch her speed.  _ ‘Conserve your strength, we have to wait for Goku, I know he won’t leave me like this.’  _ That shred of hope that Goku wouldn’t abandon her to his ‘brothers’ whims was beyond her scope of possibilities. One because she knew Goku would never let that happen and two he wasn’t going to start killing people for some piece of shit brother. 

“Hah, I do enjoy that spirit it’s only logical now that I know why my little brother likes you.” 

  
The words weren’t meant to instill feelings inside of Chi-Chit hat she had put aside for a long time. “What are you even talking about?” She responded before her mind told her to just shut up and let him brag about something that could just buy her more time. Inside of her head however was that little piece that remained deeply attached to Goku. 

Winging an eyebrow up at her, Raditz’s eyes scrutinizing Chi-Chi a bit more. “You brain dead or just stupid? The fuck do you think I mean. Or has my brother not stuffed you with his dick?”

“N-No, just how and… and why do you care what Goku does with me?” She didn’t like that look, not one single bit. If pretending that she and Goku were lovers was what she had to do then she’d do that without question.  _ I prefer the latter thoughts rather than him doing something to me.  _

Radtiz gave her a face of discontent. “Not only is my brother slow but so are you…” Shaking his head with disappointment. “Looks and spirit, well two out of three isn’t the worst I suppose. But since you aren’t sporting a belly at least he didn’t soil our genes by breeding with you.” It was discouraging, but as he sat there in a moment of genuine boredom his scouter began to blip. “Hnn?” It was two power levels, two both similar to some individuals with whom he'd acquainted with, one was his brother and the second was the green bean. Giving Chi-Chi a wicked smirk the saiyan stood upright and cracked his knuckles. “Well I suppose my little brother didn’t learn his lesson, oh well, I guess you’ll have to be the one to suffer for it.”

“What?” Chi-Chi said repulsed,  _ He isn’t-!? _

“Later you little whore, don’t worry i’ll fuck you nice and good in front of Kakarot so he gets the message. It’ll be so degrading to watch you squirm all over my dick while my brother can do nothing but watch.” Despite his previous reservations, if it was in regards to delivering a point this had to be done. It’s not like he wouldn’t enjoy it anyway. A good fuck was probably a good fuck, if his idiot brother could figure it out then there was porbably more to it. “Little Kakarot coming to save you, as if he has a chance against me even with his friend it seems.”

Chi-Chi felt it soon as well, Goku’s power level was nearing and that of Piccolo. Though she was a bit confused by the other presence. She assumed that there was a good reason for it.

Arriving with little theatrics Goku was just ten meters from his brother and Chi-Chi. Piccolo was not more than an arms length away from his rival. Both didn’t say anything but stared at Raditz intently.

“Hnn, so it seems my little warning didn’t get through to you. Did it?” Radtiz mocked as he held up one arm and flexed it. “You really are a failure, but I suppose I shouldn’t have expected much from a tailless saiyan.” He hadn’t wanted to kill and degrade his blood, but apparently that was his fate, best to just enjoy it.

With a stone faced look Goku hefted off his massive kilo vest letting it crash into the ground, his wrist weights came next and the thick clack of his heavy boots dropped onto their sides. “This time I won’t be fighting you weighed down.” While he did that Piccolo removed his own turban and shoulderguards, which Goku realized were weighted like his own gear but he didn’t address it. “You can leave and this doesn’t have to go any further.”

“Ehh you’re wasting your breath Goku, this guy is strong enough to not care about your idle threats.” Piccolo commented, still noting that Goku’s obvious weakness in giving people a chance was still there.  _ ‘Lucky that I'm here to make sure the job gets done.’  _

“Correct green beanhead.” Raditz mocked earning a growl of annoyance from the Namekian. “You fools actually think you can beat me?”

Letting himself drop into a fighting stance Goku let his body posture do the talking for him. “Oh that’s rich, brother you’re power level is barely over six hundred and I’m double that. You don’t stand a chance in a fight.” 

“Are you going to leave or not?” Goku said again his eyes locked onto Radtiz who just crossed his arms over his chest, so assured of his own victory that he didn't bother putting up some kind of defense against a weaker opponent.

“Heh, I’ll leave after I break your spit and break that woman in front of you.” The cruel smirk spread as Raditz one eye twitched towards Chi-Chi. “You had a chance to spare that fate of her, but since you are so eager to discard the one chance I gave you to spare you this humiliation and her suffering… well what can I say.” He shrugged his shoulders indifferently. “When she screams and begs for me to stop just know it was all your fault.”

A feeling stirring inside of him exploded, he would never let Raditz get his filthy hands on her! Not Chi-Chi, not Bulma, not Krillin, NO ONE! Blasting from his position Goku took the fight to his brother who defended against Goku by using one hand and his foot. 

But that was just a diversion. While preoccupied Piccolo came towards Chi-Chi and handed her a green senzu bean. “Take it and get in the fight. We only have one shot.” The vaunted want to be ruler of the world told Chi-Chi dropping it at her feet before taking off straight for Radtiz who caught Goku with a solid cross against the face.

Grabbing the bean in her hands Chi-Chi started biting down on it as Piccolo hit Raditz from behind, the attack barely stunning the saiyan warrior but allowed Goku to recover and drive a punch into Raditz’s side.

“Little insects!” The saiyan snarled bringing and elbow down on Goku’s fist and kicking at Piccolo, missing, but creating space. No longer playing games as the two of them were a marginal threat combined Raditz blocked Goku’s next attack. With his forearm and caught Piccolo’s knee with his own leg avoiding the damage.

Jabbing with his forearm into Goku’s neck making Goku gag, staggering backwards. He swept back blocking Piccolo’s next strike with his fist. Grasping the Namek’s forearm he wrenched it downwards and then smashed him with a direct punch to the face. Piccolo’s head bouncing off the ground. “Pfft We-”

A third entry into the attack came from behind. He barely turned around in time to feel both of Chi-Chi’s feet slam straight into his unprotected stomach. Her own body free of the heavy Kilo weights as well, Chi-Chi charged up her feet with both of her ki.

A loud crunch echoed from the impact as the armor cracked and broke off in parts as the contact was made. Raditz’s mouth fell open and he actually let out a cry of pain as he was sent backwards. Hitting the ground and creating a small grooved path in the dirt. 

Chi-Chi didn’t have time to celebrate, jumping into the air she gathered both of her hands above her head. Ki glowing brightly in both of them. “OX BLAST!” Snapping both o

f her fists together she aimed her attack downward before a blast of yellow ki shot outwards, like a pair of bull horns on either side streaked at their target.

The saiyan on the ground was enveloped in a bright flash of light and explosion that made Chi-Chi cover her own face as the dust and dirt forced her to avert her eyes. 

“Good shot Chi-Chi!” Goku yelled up to her approval showing in his voice and eyes as he got back to his feet. 

Turning her head she gave Goku a thumbs up and a grin- “Yeah… good shot.” Radtiz's voice came as Chi-Chi was grabbed by the head and flipped upwards, she barely uttered a cry as Raditz brought her down onto his knee grabbing her thigh. 

“Nooo-!” Goku cried out as he heard the loud cracking sound of Chi-Chi’s back impacting upon his brother’s knee. He raced up into the air but could only watch as her body was dropped from the air and was once again attacked by Raditz who had some cuts on his face and a small piece of his shoulder armor broken off but not hurt too bad. With an equally matched roar of discontent both saiyans slammed into each other. Goku hitting Raditz in the face, only to be kicked away. The older brother gave chase as Goku flipped in the air and met Raditz once again in head on combat. 

The ripples in the air exploding as both saiyans fought ferociously, one out of disgust and contempt. THe other out of anger and desire to protect. 

But not to be left out, PIccolo knew this was probably as good of a time as ever. His hand coming upwards and drawing two fingers to his forehead.  _ ‘By me time so I can kill him, you idiot.’  _ Piccolo thought as he began to draw his ki into the tips of his fingers as fast as he could.

Chi-Chi couldn’t feel her legs and she could only manage to rise up to her hands, laying on her side she strained willing her body to work but the pain jolting down her spine was hurting everywhere but her lower half… Her back had been broken.

Raditz slammed both of his hands around Goku’s back, catching him in a tight bear hug where he began to none too gently slam his clasped fists amplifying the pain and causing the world’s strongest man to cry out pain. “What’s the matter Kakarot?” The haunting laughter continued as Goku’s arms locked up as his back was arched forcing it to spasm uncontrollably. “Which will break first, your back or your spirit?” He chuckled forcing Goku to scream out violently as blood began to trickle down from his mouth as his ribs began to crack under the intense pressure.

“SPECIAL-!” The voice drawing Raditz attention as his scouter flashed to life, the reading of over twelve hundred spiking in warning. “BEAM-” His eyes widened in shock, grip faltering as Goku was dropped from the sky just as the green man threw his finger forwards. “CANNON-!” The purple and orange spiral rippled upwards, the world around them darkening as the attack cut through the air. 

Raditz had just enough time to jerk his body, the beam cut through his shoulder, destroying his armor completely. Leaving the saiyan with just a scratch. Blood ran down from the wound as the only thing Piccolo had succeeded in doing was enraging an already pissed off saiyan. 

“Dammit! I missed.” Piccolo shouted angrily, one that his attack had failed but as he panted heavily he knew that he didn’t have much more than one more of those attacks. 

Goku could see the effect of the attack but as he slowly righted himself he looked to Chi-Chi who fell back down onto her side. The pain in her eyes evident as she struggled to get herself upright… she couldn’t see the way her discs in her back were obviously twisted. His brother’s attack had all but crippled her. Grabbing the last senzu bean still in the bag, Goku had to give it to Chi-Chi. There were no more do overs. 

He began to make his way towards his downed friend only to hear Raditz unleash a string of angry curses, both of his hands rising up into the air. “SO YOU WANT TO PLAY!? FINE!” Two large golden orbs flared to life doubling from the size of basketballs once, twice, and three times until the orbs were bigger than the size of a human body. “You two can die! DOUBLE-!” 

Following his brother’s gaze Goku could see that Raditz wasn’t aiming for him.  _ ‘No!’  _ He took off and threw the bean towards Chi-Chi as his brother unleashed his yell as well as his attack. “SUNDAY-!”

The twin orbs shot downward Piccolo moved only enough his left arm being caught in the attack which was completely destroyed leaving only a stump. The other attack that headed towards Chi-Chi. She couldn’t manage any real defense without her legs. Her ki was completely unbalanced and flying wasn’t possible. She could only watch as the attack came towards her. Closing her eyes and awaited the end was all she could do, but just before it struck she heard Goku’s yell of defiance. “Goku? GOKU NO!” She called out to him but it was too late. Goku jumped into the blast. The explosion sending Chi-Chi rolling several feet and a small green bean to land just a couple arm lengths away from her.

When she was able to lift her head up, she saw Goku sprawled out in front of her. His head twisted at an unnatural angle his one eye opened but the glossy gray pupil stared back at her. When Goku still did not move, Chi-Chi’s mouth fell open.  _ It can’t be… Goku… Goku WHY? WHY DID YOU!?  _ Her eyes began to burn as tears began to stream down from the corners making a small line of crystal rivers on her face. “GOKUUU-” The painful cracking as she screamed in a mixture of pain that she hadn’t felt before in her life.

Raditz just snorted and rubbed his nose with his uninjured arm. “Waste of saiyan blood. But what can I expect from such a weakling.” The mere idea that he and the corpse had once shared blood together was disgraceful. Nothing remotely redeemable as his scouter was unable to detect any signs of life within his brother’s body. “Even as a corpse he’s ugly.” 

Coming down and landing just several feet away from the body of Kakarot Raditz turned and looked towards PIccolo. The appearance making the saiyan’s mood shift, “How is going green man? Need a hand?” Degrading laughter ensued as he took such great pleasure in his opponents misfortune.

“Keh.” Piccolo grunted as his fingers remained stuck together, he had to let this windbag talk. He had at least one more special attack left in him. “Lucky you killed him first, he was getting in my way.”

Raditz spat, “You’re more pathetic than my brother… but lucky for you I still have more than enough power to send you to hell to meet him.”

Raising up his hand Raditz began to channel just enough energy to deliver another crippling double sunday. “Well, do you have any last words?” 

_ ‘Dammit I’m not ready!’  _ Piccolo struggled to build the energy he needed but found himself still woefully short. In his body he could feel only half of what he wanted, and knowing that his opponent was much, much stronger than him he couldn’t be expecting a half assed attack to work.

“Nothing? Oh well you can't say that I didn’t-” A form latched onto him from behind, her hands locking into a full nelson while legs wrapped around his waist and dug her heels into the shattered armor. “What!?” HIs hands attempted to grab at the offending leech now squeezing him tightly, but as he tried to do so he couldn’t find any real perch as the limbs which began to squeeze began to glow bright yellow. “Get off of me!”

Chi-Chi had no intention of listening to him. Wrenching backwards with all of the might her body could muster. Raditz was unable to grasp a perch or anything to pull her off. The smaller body not allowing for any such use of his larger and bulkier size.

“Heh, keep him right there!” Piccolo cackled as a wicked grin spread over his face. Raising up his fingers to his forehead letting the sparks begin to crackle outwards as the energy that he had been building increased more and more. 

“You little bitch! I broke your back how dare you put your hands on me Argghhh-” His stomach flared up in pain as did his shoulder. The injuries he’d sustained earlier were coming back to haunt him viciously. He couldn’t reach back with his shoulder biting him and his stomach was crippling his ability to stretch and get close enough to grab the damn vermin on him.

“Hurry up!” Chi-Chi shouted as she flared up her aura doing her best to keep him stationary. His legs barely able to waddle before she yanked him backwards. Her body was straining just to keep herself there and there wasn’t much time that she could hold on.

“Don’t you worry.” Piccolo said his grin spreading. “Just a few more seconds.” His fingers crackling more with bright yellow energy.

Sensing the incoming attack Raditz resorted to anything to get her off of him. “I’ll pay you whatever you want, i’ll leave this fucking planet. Just let me go.” But the grip only tightened further.

“You killed Goku, I don’t care if I go down with you.” She growled through her clenched teeth. “You are a monster and you are going to die!”

“Damnit! You’re insane, are you so eager to just throw your life away?” Raditz twisted his head to the side to see Chi-Chi’s snarling visage looking right into his face. 

Her lips twisted into a smug grin making Raditz's face pale slightly. “Yeah I may die and Goku too. But I’ll be alive within a week. This planet’s dragonballs will revive us with a wish… unlike you. You’ll be dead permanently.” She leaned in slightly to whisper her final words. “Burn in fucking hell.”

“NOW-!” PIccolo shouted drawing his finger. “SPECIAL BEAM-!”

“NO-! Let me go. Let go Nooooww-!” 

“CANNON!” Piccolo threw his fingers forwards the attack releasing just like before, but there was no dodging. It struck him full on in the chest, the energies grinding like a drill into the armor which broke apart in a second and then burrowed into his chest… without much resistance it then hit the soft target behind Raditz and exploded out Chi-Chi’s back. Her heart and lungs destroyed instantly her grip faltered but even then the damage was done to Raditz as his chest had been completely destroyed. 

Blood exploded out of both victims of the attack, Chi-Chi’s sight lasted for all of several seconds before the blue sky became gray and then nothing but cold darkness. Her body hitting the ground in a pool of blood as Raditz fell off to the side of her, sputtering as his hardier form managed to handle his less than glorious death better than a human. 

Looking up at Piccolo who stood over him, blood spilling out from his lips the saiyan while defeated in battle… the war was far from lost.

Chi-Chi blinked finding herself somewhere that clearly wasn’t Earth, a place filled with billowing yellow clouds and a huge building with small white whips floating around and strange pale skinned individuals walking around with megaphones and clipboards. “Where am I?” Chi-Chi said scratching her head when her hand touched something. Tilting the angle of her head only slightly she noticed a golden halo…  _ I’m dead…  _ The realization hit her hard but she didn’t feel too bad. After All the dragonballs were a big help with the whole dying.

She just had never died before herself. The feeling was strange to say the least. Before she could ponder it further a friendly cry caught her ear, but the force of being wrapped up in a tight friendly hug quickly told her who it was. “Oh god, Chi-Chi! Chi-Chi!” Goku said squeezing her tightly that it might’ve forced the air from her lungs if she had any.

“G-Goku… Too tight.” She managed to force out, the pressure quickly lessened as Goku’s eyes were staring at her, a pained expression of guilt was on his face. 

“I’m so sorry Chi-Chi,” HIs head fell but he didn’t let go of her. It was rare for him to feel this way, a sense of failure, and not the kind you can just work a little harder at and improve the next time. This was a complete failure. He had been defeated due to his lack of strength and because of it his friends had to suffer and die. He’d hoped that Chi-Chi would’ve been okay but clearly that had not been the case.

She brought her own hands up and embraced him back, the tension slipped as she could feel the regret in his voice. “Goku it’s okay. I don’t blame you for anything.” Chi-Chi chose to go with him to Kame island, she chose to start fighting Radtiz brother, the results while not the happiest were not something she was going to regret. 

The world was safe and they could be revived, there was little to complain about. She just needed to avoid dying a second time before she turned twenty four. “Goku do you know what is going on though?” Pulling back so that she could look in his face. Goku nodded his head, “Yeah this is the other world. Kami came and talked to me but said he had something to attend to and left again really quickly.”

The entire place was run like a business and there was very little that the saiyan could compare it too in his travels around the world. “So what are all the white cloud things?” Chi-Chi said pointing out as they moved past her when they approached.

“Oh those? Those are dead people too. Just their spirits they don’t get to keep their bodies like we do.”

“What? You mean this isn’t normal?” Chi-Chi was a bit stunned as to why that would be, clearly lacking whatever knowledge Goku had been passed along by Kami.

  
“Yeah, if you’re a good person in life and are selfless you get to keep your body as a reward. Which I’m not surprised you were since you were able to ride Nimbus with me and you helped people like I did.” Goku reminded of the few times where’d they’d come across one another only to realize that Chi-Chi was out doing the right thing like he was. The same lessons Grandpa had taught him were also in Chi-Chi as well. 

That clarified things for her but then she wondered, “So where is Kami now you said he was here. So what’s going on?” While being dead she wasn’t really sure of what was supposed to happen, it was her first time after all but why would Kami himself show up?

“I dunno, Kami just said it was really important, I thought it was because of you when I saw you appear here but I guess that wasn’t it. Maybe-”

Kami reappeared as Goku was speaking, the guardian of the Earth wearing a grim face as he looked into the faces of Goku and Chi-Chi. “I’m sorry Goku for departing,” he tipped his head at Chi-Chi. “Apologies as well for not being here to explain what is going on, things have changed drastically and I need to tell you something most dire.” His wisdened tone and rigid posture of his body, along with the tight grip on his staff was a clear sign something was deeply troubling the Earth’s guardian. 

“What is it?” Goku asked, not sure what else had transpired? “Is Raditz still alive or did something else happen on Earth?” Chi-Chi remained quiet listening intently as Kami took a breath before speaking.

“To answer your first question. No, your brother was killed thanks to Chi-Chi’s sacrifice.” Again he bowed his head to her, “But while your brother lay dying he spoke of an even greater threat that was on its way to Earth.” 

“A greater threat? Who?” Goku said almost in a pleading tone,  _ was it Piccolo or some other nefarious group? _

“I’m afraid there are two more saiyans coming to Earth, they learned of the dragonballs through your brother’s communication device and they are coming here to claim them and if what was said is true, they are far stronger than your brother Goku… many times over.” 

It took a moment for the words to hit them like a literal ton of bricks.“You. You can’t be serious?” Chi-Chi said baffled, they had fought so hard and managed to beat Raditz only to learn that it was mostly in vain!? 

Goku just steeled himself as he could guess that there was a plan in motion, Kami probably had something ready to tell them beyond that they just were expecting even more powerful saiyans to fight. “What do we do now?”

The elder guardian pointed his staff towards the long stone winding path that flowed throughout the golden clouds. “You two must travel Snake Way together, and find King Kai.” The endless winding path stretching beyond any mortal sight. “Together you must receive his training so that the world might have a chance against this dire threat. It is selfish of me to ask you to take up this burden, but you two are the only ones capable of taking on this challenge. So I ask.” He turned back towards them and tipped his head out of respect. “Will you do this for not only me but all of Earth?”

Goku looked to Chi-Chi who only nodded her head. “We will find King Kai and defeat the saiyans. But what is your plan for reviving us? We don’t exactly know when they will arrive on Earth do we?”

Kami waved that off, “Your friends are taking care of that part Goku. I explained what you two will be doing and they will wait until the day they arrive to bring you back to Earth. You will use all the time we can spare, and even now I wish you luck on your journey.”   
  
“We can do this,” Chi-Chi said confidently. “So let’s not waste anymore time. Come on Goku, we can’t afford to waste even a minute.”

“Agreed.” And before the guardian could speak in edgewise the two departed into the air along snakeway. Their auras fading into the other realm as Kami could only pray that the two of them would be enough.


	2. Snakeway

Goku and Chi-Chi paused, taking a rare chance to sit down and rest together. While Goku could probably keep going he wasn’t going to just leave Chi-Chi behind. They were making good time, he was just a bit stronger. They had been flying for three days straight with no change in pace, only to then run the last seven days stopping only briefly to sleep for several hours before beginning again. They made up for the drain in time by running longer than they could fly. 

Both of them decided to not try and jump across Snake Way as Goku had nearly screwed up and landed off the path cutting his hand on the sharp edges of the stone serpent causeway. A nice purple bandage made from Chi-Chi’s long pant leg now covered the small cut to his hand. 

Right now they were both laying on their backs together. Chi-Chi’s eyes heavy, “Goku… if we’re dead how come we can still feel exhaustion, and why are we breathing like we have lungs?” The obvious question poised to the misunderstood nature of life and death. She thought they were supposed to be ghosts, or spirits, not having bodies of flesh and functioning just as it had been in life. “Is this supposed to be happening?”

“I honestly don’t know… but man I am getting really, really hungry for being dead though.” He remarked, his stomach letting off a large upset grumble as he rubbed the only real sore spot on his body. 

Chi-Chi laughed, “That would be you Goku,” Never satisfied, exhaling heavily she turned her head towards him. “Goku, do you mind if I ask you a question.”

“Nope, ask away.” He said turning back to smile at her. “I always like your questions, Chi-Chi.” She made him think about things, and made him feel like she actually wanted to hear his opinion. His friends asked him questions to usually see what type of answer he give and either remark typical or that was dumb. Chi-Chi was never like that. “So what’s on your mind?”

“Goku, do you remember the world tournament when you forgot who I was?” She’d asked this question before but she had to remind him that there were a few times that he’d not instantly remembered who she was. Claiming because he didn’t remember her outfit, and that she always looked different. 

He nodded, “Yeah, you sure were mad.” an amused smirk showing on his face that made Chi-Chi smile.

“Yes I was, but I often think about it. You know how I wanted you marry me.” It was something she always thought about but rarely talked with anyone about it but she couldn’t ever broach the topic. But since she’d literally spent two weeks with Goku and they were just running and aside from making small talk about things, a part of her just kept scratching at the edges of her mind. “What if me and you had actually gotten married? How do you think things would’ve turned out?”

Goku himself took a moment to think, his eyes going to the endless yellow clouds around them. There were so many things about being ‘married’ that he didn’t understand. That and there were so many rules, he asked Chi-Chi to explain what it was to him at one point but got lost several minutes into it. It sounded fun, but he felt that it was a lot of work, plus it meant he didn’t get to have any adventures and train. That kind of sold him on not wanting to get married, yet. “I don’t know, I think I might’ve made you go crazy though, you know how I get when doing things that are ‘normal’.” 

That was quite true, “I guess you’re right. But don’t you ever want to slow down, and you know, have kids someday or have a whole family, not just with me but with anyone?”

Goku shrugged, “Ehh, having kids sounds nice…. But.” His voice trailing off as he found a new growing problem to the prospect of marriage. Chi-Chi waited for a minute for him to finish, but as he seemed to struggle putting his words together she had to push a little bit. “But what?”   
  
“I mean right now. If me and you got married and we had a kid,” While a pleasing thought to Chi-Chi Goku felt something wrong when having someone else to take care of, like Grandpa had done with him. “If we had a child and we both died, then what would happen to them? Would it be like how it was with me and Grandpa, where they raise themselves or would Piccolo or some villain try and get revenge against them through me or you?”

_ ‘That’s a good point.’  _ Goku had a lot of enemies and having a child would make them priority number one. Just thinking about Raditz using a child against them, she’d be helpless and probably irrational, but then she’d made the sacrifice just like Goku had done for her. But then just to add one more thing to that, there would be so much  _ guilt.  _ Leaving her family behind while she ran off and trained to fight the next big bad and ignore them? “I guess you have a point, some parents we’d make huh.” Her fake laugh a partial self loathing for herself if she had been put into such a position. Yet Goku surprised her.   
  


“I think you’d be a good mom, no I take that back, you’d be great!” Sensing her self loathing she’d been showing every once and while Goku wanted her to be happy. Plus it wasn’t a lie, “You can look after me, I’m sure a small baby wouldn’t be too bad. I bet you’d feed him, read him stories, and probably train them really really hard.”

Chi-Chi looked back up towards the clouds and smiled.  _ I don’t think I’ll ever get over this guy.  _ He was just… just Goku. Was there a word that could describe a man who could be so calm but then so endearing at the same moment?  _ ‘I wonder if we just ran into each other on purpose sometimes or maybe it was me being drawn to him. Goku has that occult a personality about him.’  _ “Thanks Goku, if I ever have a kid I’ll be sure to remember that, but I can’t imagine wanting them to fight like this. I would want them to do something practical like… being a doctor or something.”

“What? A person who uses needles!” Goku exclaimed, almost shocked that Chi-Chi would want her son to be the greatest threat to all mankind, a tad exaggerated but it was definitely top ten. “They could be an amazing fighter, and if they were a girl like you, they’d be super smart, strong, and pretty. I mean most kids are like their parents so I don’t know how you could not have a kid and not be a great martial artist.”

His unintended compliments made her blush like a schoolgirl all over again, “Oh Goku you are just too...” Her hands were on her face as she just couldn’t help being playful. “MUCH!” So lost in her own image of a smaller version of herself, with her own daydream she then shoved Goku away from her, rolling end over end and falling off the Snake Way with a loud “HEY-!” A helpless flail as Goku vanished into the yellow mess of clouds. It took Chi-Chi a second to realize her mistake and then jumped over to the ledge looking down. “Goku?!” Looking, she didn’t spy him, “Oh no…” She panicked, wondering what had just happened.

“Jeez Chi-Chi, that was close.” Goku’s voice coming from behind her. Startled, she jumped back around to see Goku with a thick bead of sweat on his face as he pulled himself back up and onto the pathway. 

“Oh I'm sorry, I just lost myself for a second.” She apologized coming over to him as he took a moment to calm down his heart from the near scare. “I didn’t hurt you did I?” 

Putting a hand on his shoulder, she looked him over wondering if she might’ve banged himself on something. Touching his face and moving his unruly spikes she made sure there wasn’t something she missed.  _ ‘I’m fine.’  _ It’s what he wanted to say, but he didn’t say anything. Her touch - when not flinging him off the edge of the stone pathway - was… warm, gentle, and most of all he liked it.  _ Her hands are so soft.  _ Relaxing, Goku just let Chi-Chi check him over enjoying the closeness that her presence brought him. A light tingle in the heart. 

“You don’t look hurt.” She said confirming her suspicion and flooding her with relief.  _ ‘That was really stupid Chi-Chi…’  _

Goku noticed her frown, obviously her guilt. “It’s okay Chi-Chi.” But he could tell that she didn’t buy that. “No really, it’s kind of like how we were when we were kids.” It was how he really remembered Chi-Chi, “Remember when I- '' He reached over with his one hand and did a ‘friendly’ pat-pat right onto her crotch. “Did tha-” 

Chi-Chi jumped, “Goku!” She shouted, pushing herself away her hands immediately going to her thighs and covering herself protectively. “What?” He said, “I-”   
  
“You can’t touch me there Goku, that is improper!” And her mild fantasy quickly fell back down to Earth.  _ ‘Social cues are still lost on him.’  _ She groaned in her head. “You can’t touch girls there and I can’t touch a boy there unless the two of them are married or love each other.”

“You didn’t mind when we were kids, you told me yourself that you really liked how forward I was about it.” There was always this thing with Chi-Chi, where she’d change her personality up like a switch being flipped. How was something okay years ago but not okay now?  _ Sheesh. _

“Ugh,” Shaking her head, “Goku there’s just things you don’t do to another person's body. I can’t touch your penis and you can’t touch my vagina, and don’t ask me to explain why that is you just don’t do that unless you and the other person really like each other.” 

This again was confusing for Goku, “But I do really like you, Chi-Chi.” His words having the impact of a freight train hitting her head on. “Chi-Chi you are one of my best friends. I know that you wanted to get married to me someday, but I wasn’t, yah know… ready for that and you understood, but I mean if I was ever going to marry someone it would have to be you. You.... You’re just.” Words and feelings were always his biggest crutch to hold himself up. “I can’t explain the things in my head sometimes, but I know that you are a good person. One of the nicest people to me, you aren’t like my other friends, you’re different.” There was this feeling again, that feeling he got around Chi-Chi and no one else. Was it because she was playful with him, strong like him, or maybe she actually cared about him? Ever since Grandpa had died he’d never had this part of him be opened up. “I’m sorry, Chi-Chi, I just… I just.” 

She was stunned, Chi-Chi normally always one for maintaining her composure had lost it all. Goku opening up to her in such a deep confession that shocked her.  _ Goku’s invincible never concerned and never a dull moment attitude just broke open.  _ There was indeed a man under there, and like always it just gave her that hope again. The side of the boy who had warmed her heart, as a teen he just wasn’t ready to express himself. 

Putting it down to Goku probably was never the settling down type, a free spirit, not the kind to be idle for too long.  _ Yet…  _ Whenever they met Goku and she would always spend time together, it was more than four or five times in a year where they’d just come across each other. But when they did Goku and she would spend days together, expounding in detail about their journey and what they’d been up to. A little arm flexing here and there. A dinner or two together, a friendly swim, and the occasional play wrestling match - an unspoken favorite of theirs both.

(Flashback)

Goku had Chi-Chi in an arm lock, both of them digging in on a tropical isles of the Pacific, the warm midnight air and red sun setting leaving those looking from one direction with the black outline of two figures engaged in a fierce struggle. While obviously stronger than her, Goku lacked the distinct flexibility and balance that was for a woman. Turning into him, her arm pulled to an unnatural angle, she swept Goku’s foot forcing him to brace for the impact, their little game was to just pin the other one to the ground for several seconds to win, there was no real rules, or goal, but to have fun with one another.

For him it was a match with a strong opponent, for her it was a chance to show him up. He landed onto his back, she pounced on him, his legs rolling up and locking her into a guard, with his legs locked around her back, he tried to snare her head into a choke to roll her onto her back and pin her. She didn’t oblige by twisting her hips rolling up and through his legs, the slippery wet salty sand did not allow for much friction. Goku dressed in his boxers and she in a full body swimsuit, the kind she wore back in school. The elastic material stretched as she rolled up and caught Goku’s head and arm. 

Realizing that he would lose, Goku rolled with her. The two toppolling over and over each other in the sand until he ended up pinning her, but not without his head and arm caught in her grip. Laying between her legs, his hips pressed against hers. A position of dominance from the waist down, it was Chi-Chi who held him firm, keeping his neck locked against his arm.

“Tie.” She said grinning up at him, even though it wasn’t a victory she hadn’t been bested.

“Tie it is.” He conceded and she let go, but then they both stopped. Goku looked down at her and found himself lost in his own heart. This position felt right, her laying beneath him, her hair spread amongst the sand as the small waves ot the tide licked at the sides of their bodies. The splashes of dribbling water soaking his chest and covering her neck, the patterning of sand as marks from a fight. She looked…  _ so... so…  _ **_beautiful._ **

He hungered but it was not his stomach that wanted her, his groin was burning, his eyes were getting drier, his lips were tingling and the urge to bite her was rushing through him. He wanted to desperately sink his teeth into her neck in that moment, the purpose lost, but the reasoning was sound. No one touched what you put your mouth on. His mind just couldn’t rationalize why he wanted to. But he wanted to bite her many times and she would bite him back. They could bite and bite until their bodies were littered in bites so that no one would touch other but them.

Yet that would be selfish, but the side that wanted her blood in his mouth to rip away and what separated them and become closer was there in a way that he could not even comprend. That scared him, the unknown, the what would be if he did something selfish and hurting someone he cared about. 

He pulled back, though Chi-Chi noticed the hungry look in his eyes, it had been the closest thing she’d ever seen from Goku ever to pure raw emotion. He wanted her in a way that she’d never thought, she’d imagined sure many times, but to have that look where she was the only thing in his eyes. It just gave her hope that Goku  _ might,  _ ever so slightly do something crazy.  _ Kiss me, tell me you love me, pull my swimsuit away and take me here and now.  _ She could do it herself, she could certainly do it, but that wouldn’t be right, she’d given Goku her consent long ago to fall in love with her. She had fallen for him, but he, he had not made up his mind. 

It could not be forced. So she let go when he did, but she recalled the feeling of his erection against her hips, the slow grind of his hips even if he did not realize it. 

That look alone always kept her finding him again, in the hopes that he might finally make that step. But they never came that close again, Goku being careful from that point on to not let that side out, but still there were glimmers of it, but nothing she could ever touch like she did that evening on a beach.

Maybe she was a hopeless romantic but come on, a half naked guy on a girl in a swimsuit that they knew since childhood, the sunset on the side and warm sand all around. She could not have made a better situation for which the two of them might’ve found themselves in.

(End Flashback)

She had never moved on and surprisingly now she knew. Neither had he. “Goku... “ Her words were soft and her face reminded him of that night on the beach. The salty water replaced with sweat, the warm sand now warm stone. 

“Chi-Chi. I’m sorry, I- I just.” But she stopped him, putting a finger to his lips. “Goku, I know but as much as I want to continue this conversation. It has to wait, the world needs us.” He just nodded his head, there would be time later, but now they did have a mission to get to.

Helping him up, Goku let his hand rest in hers for awhile longer. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have touched you there.” He apologized tipping his head.

“It’s okay, I’m sorry for getting worked up about it. Besides, you were right.” A faint blush creeping over her cheeks. Goku looked up confused, “Right?” Not following what she meant.

_ Oh Goku.  _ Keeping his hand in hers she pulled him along for a bit before letting go. Her head turned over her shoulder and looked at him with a warm glow that made his heart beat faster. “I don’t mind if it's you who touches me there.” 

He blinked and then he opened his mouth to speak but she turned and began to run again her face red from embarrassment and something else. Sharing a piece of her heart with him once again, Chi-Chi could only look to the future and wonder what time would hold for them.

[***]

It was another two weeks and still Goku and Chi-Chi saw no end to the ever expansive Snake Way, a whole month had passed them by and still they were no closer to their goal from what they could tell. Hardly anyone ever made the journey to meet King Kai, and fewer still ever could actually claim to have met him.

But they found a nice break as Goku and Chi-Chi were greeted to a large house in the middle of the path. Two blue skinned women with dark colored hair were doing laundry on top when they approached. “Oh, visitors! Visitors!” They called out hurrying from their positions, one that Chi-Chi found trouble with as she could see their laundry hanging skills left much to be desired.

“You think this is King Kai’s?” Goku asked Chi-Chi who shook her head. 

“I doubt that, were not at the end of Snake Way, it still keeps going…” A hint of defeat echoing faintly in her tone. Four weeks of non stop moving and they had still nothing to show for it! If there were maybe a mile marker, a GPS a sign, hell a crappy motel to give them some inkling as to how much further they had to go would be appreciated. 

But alas Chi-Chi’s woes were not going to be gifted with such a thing. Their tale is one of apparent never ending stone snake. She longed for it to be over!

As they stood there, Goku’s undampenable mood remained as usual as he watched as the doors opened and out stepped a woman. Much like the other two who had been doing laundry this one wore a nice form fitting blue dress and had bright orange hair. “Oh, visitors it has been too long. Welcome!” She said, gesturing for the two of them to enter. 

“Hello, my name is Goku, and are you King Kai the one who we were sent to train with?” Goku figured that it could be possible. I mean Chi-Chi was a great fighter, why couldn’t this person be King Kai?

“Oh no, I’m sorry I am not him. I am Princess Snake, royal otherworldly pageant winner six out of the last ten years I will have you know.” She said offering him a hand.

  
Goku frowned slightly disappointed that this wasn’t King Kai. “Oh. Well, do you know how far along we are until we reach King Kai’s?” He asked pointing to the direction they had been heading.

“Dear me… it’s been so long.” The woman brought a hand to her chin. “By my guess you’d be about halfway.”

“HALF?!” Chi-Chi said before falling over backwards. “You okay?” Goku asked giving her a quizzical stare as Chi-Chi threw up her hands and screamed. The intensity making Goku cover his ears and Princess Snake along with her entourage to do the same. “Chi-Chi?” His face now looking down at her grumpy expression.

“Goku didn’t you hear her? We’re just halfway there, that means four more weeks until we arrive - another wasted month and we're not getting any stronger for the saiyans.

“Well at least we know how far along we are Chi-Chi, that’s a good thing!” His chipper mood undampened by the notion of their journey. They would have to time with a person like King Kai, they only had to look forward to a little bit more running.

Princess Snake looked between the two, a slight hint of concern as she eyed them. “Excuse me for being so bold, but may I ask are the two of you a couple?”

“Yes,” “No,” Goku and Chi-Chi said, “Goku, we’re not a couple.” She said trying to correct him but he waved that off. “Chi-Chi we are a couple.” His words making the Ox Princess feel something in her heart before, “We are traveling together, that makes us a couple.” Her head fell back onto the stone pavement.  _ ‘Moment ruined.’ _

“That doesn’t make us a couple in how she’s asking Goku.” She said irritated, she cast him an annoyed glare as he scratched his head with a finger. “Goku, she’s asking if we’re together as in, dating or married.”

_ ‘Okay that’s kind of true, however,’  _ “Chi-Chi, didn’t we say we’d talk about it after we got with King Kai though. You know the whole having kids thing a few weeks ago?” Immediately bringing the blush back to Chi-Chi’s face. 

  
“My, you two certainly have a,” Princess Snake paused before adding, “relationship.” If that is how one would view it. “Would you two mind staying for a meal before continuing on your journey, maybe taking a nice hot bath?” Her words were quite tempting.

_ ‘Oh, that sounds amazing right now.’  _ Chi-Chi thought, believing that there could be some measure of comfort to be found on this expansively winding snake trail. But this wasn’t the time… rest came after they’d done what they set out to do. “We really can’t we should-”

“Aww, but Chi-Chi,” Goku whined, “I haven’t eaten in so long and we could use a bath my pits really stink.” Taking a whiff for effect, his nose crinkling in response to it.

“Goku, you’re dead you don’t need to eat.” She corrected him, “Also the saiyans have a time table we can’t waste any time with them on the way.”

“Oh you must, it wouldn’t be right if you met King Kai smelling and looking like that. How about you just take an hour and we’ll make sure your clothes are washed, cleaned and fresh. It would be terrible to show up looking haggard.” The princess jumped back in, Chi-Chi noticed she seemed awfully eager to have them stay for some reason. But Goku gave her a pleading look.

“Fine, but just an hour before we go.” Relentling.

“Wonderful, come along Goku. I’ll have a great feast set up for both of you while you both take a bath.” Grabbing his arm a bit forcefully and leading him inside the building. Goku not thinking much of it and Chi-Chi could only sigh,  _ ‘Trumped by Goku’s ever present hungry stomach.’  _

Once they were inside, Princess Snake led them to some perfect hot springs, the kind that Chi-Chi  _ ‘loved’.  _ Of course what she wasn’t ready for was Goku stripping down to nothing and jumping right in, not a hint of decency or public decorum.  _ ‘Not that the view wasn’t great.’  _ Sitting with a towel wrapped around her body, Chi-Chi laid herself back in the water. The steam rolling off and opening up her pours were bliss. “Ahhh,” She sighed letting her head fall back into the water, her hair spilling out into the water as Goku rested across from her. His hands washing his body slowly with a washcloth. Chi-Chi watched through lidded eyes as his hand swiped up and over his rounded pectoral muscle rising up and over his tan skin and then pulling over his nipple.  _ ‘Oh Kami.’  _

Was it wrong for her to be ogling him like this after just saying they weren’t a couple. If they were a couple she wouldn’t mind doing that herself…  _ ‘No, No! Chi-Chi we are not going to do this to ourselves it’s not right!’  _ Chi-Chi couldn’t stop her mind and problematically her fingers from sliding down between her legs. It was shameful, crude, and downright immoral for her to be looking at Goku and fantasizing about him while they had such a threat hanging over them, but this wasn’t much different to the times where’d they shared close space before.

But that ripped chest, how his skin pulled over his abs in a way that she could see herself running her fingers through the dips and curves, it wasn’t wrong to admit that her crush had an absolutely statuesque physique. No unsightly body hair… not even ‘down there’. Just the hair on his head.  _ ‘Chi-Chi, come on you practically admitted to liking the way he touched you privately! Stop being so upstanding. You know Goku wouldn’t turn down you running your hands over him. I mean come on, it's not like Goku is going to be expecting something from you in return.’  _ Her illogical heart was telling her to just jump him, not intimately but those deep feelings for Goku was perfectly reasonable. They were good friends, Goku admitted to liking her in many ways.  _ Maybe… Maybe- _

“Hey Chi-Chi,” Her daydreaming was broken by his voice. His head cocked to the side as he stopped washing himself to give her a studious look. “You okay?” She was just looking at him unblinking “You look like you're ready to slip down into the water.” She was staring at him quite intently and he had to admit the look was, appealing like how it had been on the beach years ago. She wanted something but what exactly that was eluded his current understanding of their relationship. Most people yelled at him when he got nude, but Chi-Chi didn’t. She was always comfortable around him unlike his other friends. 

_ ‘Oh! Maybe she’s waiting for me to do that thing Bulma did with me. Shoot.  _ He knew that Bulma said that it was appropriate to bathe someone when they were in the bath together unless it was his friend’s ‘personal time’ “Chi-Chi how about I wash your back?” 

_ ‘WHAT?!’  _ Chi-Chi’s mouth bubbled as her lips were moving before she recalled they were below the water. “You-You want to wash me?” Blinking with a red face.

“Of course, I mean you’d do the same for me right?” He chuckled standing up and giving Chi-Chi a full eye full of his flaccid snake. The Ox Princess was already too red to go any deeper as Goku strode over and brought the washcloth to her back. The usual gentle smile on his face as he ran the washcloth over Chi-Chi’s back, his other hand resting on her shoulder as he focused on his task.

She hadn’t told him yes or no, but here he was doing it anyway! Chi-Chi was ready to object but stopped when Goku put a gentle pressure on her back. Running his fingers up the small crest of her spine and back down made her lightly groan, having been one to always know a body and the level of pressure to apply in a circumstance paid off for Chi-Chi’s neglected muscles. “So, mmm, good.” She said as she let her face drop into the water giving Goku more access to her. 

Pleased with himself, Goku shifted to popping the digits in her back as he shifted to rolling his knuckles into the washcloth. Popping the discs and making her slip further down. But she was wearing a towel, ‘ _ Girls really are weird when they bathe,’  _ How could you not enjoy a nice warm bath while wearing something? 

Chi-Chi felt her cover disappear but either fortunately or unfortunately Goku’s hands never came around to her front. Chi-Chi laid her head on the rocks as Goku performed magic with his fingers. Her mind drifted wondering if Goku might do something, and with how he was making her feel she’d probably not object to whatever he asked. It might’ve been the heat or the closeness to the man who had captured her heart, but she traveled down the dark and dirty path.

_‘Maybe he’ll ask me to clean his big dick?’_ Envisioning herself taking that monster with both of her hands and rubbing it down, expecting the limp snake to become a third arm and then have him blast his thick white cum all over the place. _Check fantasy number 1._ Or maybe _‘He’ll spin me around, tell me how much he wants me, how he’s tired of playing coy. Then he’ll force me against the rocks and kiss me, shove his tongue into my mouth and pull me against him.’ Fantasy number 23 check._ But then there was, _‘He’ll reach down and cup my sex and do what my fingers wern’t able to finish, he’ll say_ ** _I saw you and I want you to cum for me_** _‘_ _Oh God why am I doing this?_ She was getting herself worked up for no reason!

Unsteady breaths escaped from her lips as her hands were resting along her head.  _ Damn my sex fantasies, damn Goku for being so fucking good looking!  _ Yet she didn’t protest as he worked his hands up into her hair, scratching the sides of her head and rolling her neck to one side and then popping her neck only to swing it back to the other half and repeat. “Kami… Goku where’d you learn this?” Her heavy breaths made Goku just laugh.

“Oh, I remember watching this one guy a couple years ago do this to a girl in a hot spring, the girl really seemed to like it.” Goku had scared the hell out of the pair when he dropped out of nowhere to ask what he was doing to her.

After being promised that he’d not tell anyone what he saw - having something to do with her being underaged - whatever that ment he said he’d teach him his moves if he swore never to come back and speak about what he’d witnessed. So Goku learned this technique, he’d never really had a chance to use it but he mastered it quickly, the guy said it was his best move.  _ Strange guy, but it seems to be working.  _ His mind told him that Chi-Chi seemed to be really enjoying it as she had vocally and visibly showed him.

The small sounds and groans that she made were,  _ what’s the word? Nice… no that doesn’t sound right. Soft? Nope that wasn’t it either… Pleasing, yes that was it.  _ They made him feel good and the more he heard it. There was just that urge once again as he rolled his fingers through her hair, her soft skin and silky smooth hair - his head dipped closer so his nose could inhale that rich scent - it was still permeated with her sweat and as it dripped into the water. 

Then as Chi-Chi’s head rolled backwards, Goku felt his breathing grow heavier, looking down at the way her neck was exposed to him, that porcelain skin but layered with shapely toned muscle that displayed her pulse. It was beating rapidly Goku could hear it and feel it with his hands. 

Thrumming of her heart was making that urge rise up,  _ ‘Bite her…. Just a little bite.’  _ A deep growl of his body told him to do this, that this was the time. Sink his teeth deep into her skin and let her blood fill his mouth. 

Lowering his lips down he pressed a kiss into her flesh as his eyes were hazy and drunk, the aroma of the bathwater and the smell of Chi-Chi was just turning him into a naught but a beast with its instincts. Chi-Chi hardly protested herself as Goku’s lips parted sucking on the part of her neck. Crying out lightly she brought a hand to touch his cheek the other grasping his fingers in his hair. “Haaah… mmmm.” Her gasp turned into a moan as Goku’s tongue slid up and over her neck and pushed along her pulse. 

Widening his lips, Goku’s teeth scraped along her skin- *BANG* a loud clattering of metal like a pan being dropped onto the ground broke the moment as Chi-Chi now cognizant again jumped grabbing her towel as Goku turned back around. Princess Snake was standing here in muted silence as one of her servants dropped a washing bowel. Their faces were flushed through the blue texture was only slightly darker. Even as observers they were affected very much by Goku, even if he didn’t know it.

“Sorry, but would you like to eat?” Snake made the attempt to break the obvious tension in the air,  _ ‘The water was supposed to make them more heated but I guess that the tall muscular one wasn’t lying when he said they were a couple. How… delicious.’ _

Goku and Chi-Chi didn’t address their little frisky business as they got out and dressed heading to the hall to grab some food. Chi-Chi felt a little groggy, her limbs were like noodles but she felt so nice and relaxed.

Goku was a little drowsy but overall he was fine, sitting down at the large table with Chi-Chi beside him they watched as huge plates of food with meat still on the bone, full diced and fried vegetables. Cooked corn on the cob, a full pot of stew. He just couldn’t wait and started digging in right away. 

Chi-Chi fixed herself a full plate and started eating, but as she stuck her fork into the cut of meat she felt the weight of her eyes growing heavier. The urge to sleep was overpowering and the effects of the bath were still weighing down her will to stay awake. Chi-Chi’s head began to nod and slowly drop.

“Did you put enough in?” Princess snake asked one of her attendants who gave her a crooked smile. “Triple the dosage.” She said as Goku slowed down, his own body weakening, the heavy sedative and sleeping powder taking its effect. Normally the hot springs were filled with the same compound but these two delicacies were able to resist even that much. The food was just the knockout punch.

Chi-Chi’s head hit the table and her body rolled onto the floor her eyes shut and completely unconscious. Goku fell backwards, his head looking up as his arms were limp and lax at his side. The thud was unheard, the only thing he could feel was the desire to sleep. The knife in his hand clattered onto the ground and his heavy snore filled the air.

“Oh, finally now. Fetch me my mirror I want to see just what kind of meal we will be enjoying today!” Princess Snake hadn’t had this kind of company in years, only King Yemma had been strong enough to get away from her on their way to King Kai’s. So she now had two creatures to fill her more than hungry belly, it had been a really long time.

Her attendants flashed the mirror in front of Goku, his dreams amplified to be of what he cherished and cared the most about as to sweeten the flavor as he was eaten. Dying in delight was such a beautiful thing. “Ahh, here we go.” Her attendant said as the mirror shimmered, the landscape of a green grass planet with light blue skies quickly filled the view. “Hmm, there doesn’t seem to be anything…”

Snake pouted as she looked around until she put her hand on the mirror to Goku’s mind and reached a little deeper. “By the Gods!” She gasped as she saw Goku’s darkened face teeth exposed and fully driven deeply into Chi-Chi’s neck. “What kind of man does that?”

“I do not know princess, but it’s not out of malice but…” She said as they watched Goku swallow down her blood only to lick at the wounds before biting her again, and again. There was no violence only dominance. “He’s marking her I think. As his.”

“Hmmmm, a little too raw for my tastes.” She waved off the mirror before pointing to the downed Chi-Chi. “Bring the other one up and let me see her dreams, she seems to be much sweeter than that one.”

Putting Chi-Chi on the table they let the mirror rest just above her looking into her mind and trying to find the hidden delight that lay beneath. What they found… did not disappoint. “Girlssss-” Snake’s voice hissed her mouth twisting into a macbare of glistening whtie fang like teeth and a serpents tongue. “I think-kkk we are ready to feasssst-”

  
“Yesss, oh yesss.” The two attendents grinned, their mouths widening as they moved to different sections of Chi-Chi, Princess Snake grabbing Chi-Chi’s shoulders her mouth widening as she moved to swallow her head. Her jaw stretched to impossible levels to fit it, distorting her frame and body type as she let her tongue taste the sweet succulent flesh for herself just a bit.

But Goku’s fingers twitched, he grunted, fighting against the forced sleep, his saiyan body rejecting the poison in his veins. Quickly building up an immunity and driving the saiyan to rise. His eye opening, before his senses kicked in fully. “HEY-!”

Princess Snake who was leering over Chi-Chi’s head, one attendant grabbing her shoulder, the other had her sights set on Chi-Chi’s thigh all stopped and looked at the now awake Goku, “Get off of her!” Throwing up a wave of his ki as his body was not firing on all cylinders quite yet blasted the three women off of her. “What were you doing?!” He shouted now upright, his mouth breathing heavily.

  
“My, Goku- we-we were just- just-” Snake stammered having been caught off guard she couldn’t hide it. “Oh to hell with it. You are going to be our next meal!” She hissed her face turning back into its twisted form.

“You aren’t strong enough to stop me.” He shouted back to which Princess Snake laughed.

“Oh, really? But am I really your opponent? How about I show you where you really are my food.” The visage of the three women vanished and Goku found himself inside the writhing innards of a beast. “How about my belly, a snake’s belly to be in fact, ahahahaha!” A voice echoed in mocking laughter. “You are already trapped and will be my nourishm- Hey what are you doing?!”

Goku picked up Chi-Chi who was struggling to wake up herself, “No one touches Chi-Chi with their tongue except me-!” He said angrily throwing his hand down towards the ground. “Hyahhh!” He screamed blasting a long stream of ki straight into the creature’s vulnerable innards and sending the two of them upwards. The pain made the large serpent cry out in pain as it was being jabbed by a ki beam.

Flipping out of its mouth, Goku looked down at the massive serpent now looking back up at him with anger. “How dare you! I am the great Princess Snake!”

“Sorry but I am not food and we have a visit with King Kai.” Goku announced, holding Chi-Chi now bridal style in his arms. He shouldn’t have been so easily led astray, Chi-Chi was right, they should’ve just kept going and this had all been a waste of time. 

“Get back here!” The giant snake shouted, floating in the air and began to chase after Goku who darted all over the place. Using his flight and speed Goku zipped all around, the creature snapping and biting where he was twisting and turning in an ever desperate manner to catch its food. Until its body tangled itself among its many coils.

“Well I’d like to stay but it appears you’re all tied up! Goodbye!” Goku said with a laugh and turned away as the giant beast was firmly tangled like a mess of yarn. 

“Wait!” the snake called out but Goku kept flying away. “Call me please!” She let loose in a final beg but Goku did not turn back. Holding Chi-Chi against his chest Goku had to make up for lost time.

[***]

The remaining three weeks were less eventful, the two coming up with a good schedule for upping their pace and not having to stop and rest as often. The two swapping between carrying one another for several hours everyday so one could rest, the added weight was a light training session which both parties had a chance to just focus on the task at hand.

But, they finally found it. “The end…” Chi-Chi said almost shocked at the prospect of seeing the long winding trail coming to an almost fishtail-like end. 

“Yep, looks like it. Man that was quite the little run we had.” Acting like the near two month marathon was naught but an afternoon 6k run. 

“So… where is King Kai?” Chi-Chi asked not spotting anything except more yellow clouds. As she looked she was reminded of an old saying which she had to vocalize. “I hope this isn’t one of those training moments where it’s not actually going to meet the actual master but the journey itself kind of deals. I swear if that’s the case I’m punching someone- not you Goku.” She said noticing how he took a step back from her.

Scratching his head Goku then looked up, “Chi-Chi.” His eyes now fixated on a small green planet with a paved stone path sprawled down the center. “I think that’s it.”

“What’s it?” She said looking back to Goku and then following his gaze. “Wow… it’s a planet?” A small one, but a planet nonetheless.

“Hey, that’s probably where King Kai is, come on let's go!” Goku said jumping into the air and making his way towards the area. Chi-Chi found a smile again and followed after him, knowing that now their journey might not have been for nothing.

As they neared the planet looking around for someone on the surface, both fighters quickly released a yelp as they were practically sucked down to the surface. Their bodies and clothes became a hindrance as they both slammed into the ground. their bodies leaving indents into the finely mowed grass. “W-What is this?” Chi-Chi said as she struggled to lift her body up from the ground.

  
“Ugh, I don’t know… this whole planet… it’s heavy.” Goku stated, the grass felt thick, and his fingers couldn’t break easily into the soft dirt like on Earth. 

“It’s, like the gravity is way higher!” Realizing that might be what was pulling them down, the logical leap making sense as one wouldn’t just be sucked down towards a planet without a reason. Though being dead she couldn’t exactly have this be rationale could she?

“Hghh.” Goku struggled making it to one knee before lifting himself up into a stance. Chi-Chi took another whole minute to join him standing upright until a furry brown body jumped in front of them making Chi-Chi nearly lose her balance as it startled her. “What the hell?” She said as a monkey stood in front of them its finger in its mouth as it looked at the two of them like they were bizarre ones. 

“Hey Chi-Chi, look it’s a monkey.” Stating the obvious, “I know that!” She snapped at him as she managed to rebalance herself. “What’s it doing here? And how is it able to move like that?” The animal walking around seemingly unaffected by the intense gravity that Goku and Chi-Chi were both under.

“Dunno, maybe he’s King Kai?” Goku said trying to follow him to which Chi-Chi rolled her eyes.

“Goku that’s a monkey it’s not King Kai.”

He gave her a funny look, pouting with his lips. “How do you know, I had a tail like that, it could be King Kai.”

“Ugh, Goku, it’s not King Kai. If it was King Kai then wouldn’t it tell us that?” She said gesturing how the animal behaved well… like an animal. “See it’s picking its own nose and scratching its but, that not King Kai.”

“I do that too.” 

“DISGUSTING and you put your hands on me?!” Chi-Chi shrieked almost reviled at the mere notion Goku had been digging for gold and rubbing hits dirty hands all over her. Wasn’t she filthy enough just from all the tons of sweat?

“Eheheh,” A voice snorted, “Oh it seems that I have a two four today. Must be my golfing skills. Get it, a hehehehe, a two FOUR?!” Goku and Chi-Chi both turned a strange looking blue man, his hands covering his face as he unabashedly laughed at his own terrible humor until he coughed and recollected himself. “Well you are right young lady, I am King Kai. That monkey is Bubbles, he lives here with me.”

It certainly answered some questions but the Kai put his hands behind his back as his face became serious. “I know why you’ve come. You need to defeat the saiyans, is that right?”

“Yes, can you help us, King Kai?” Chi-Chi asked, “We were defeated before but we aren’t even close to how strong these other saiyans are supposed to be.”

“Hmm, I can help you but before we even begin training I must warn you that these saiyans are even stronger than me.”

  
“No way? Really?” Goku exclaimed, he was shocked and excited at the idea. Two very strong opponents, even stronger than the man they were speaking with right now were headed to Earth? A part of him couldn’t wait for this year 

“Yes, but with my training I have no doubt that the two of you will be able to succeed me as well,” casting a gaze upwards King Kai let a smile show on his face before holding up a single finger. “Now let’s get started.”

_ That was something she could approve of, they didn’t have time to waste anymore. _ Chi-Chi told herself as she nodded. “So what do you want us to do King Kai?” 

“Simple, catch my friend here Bubbles.” The Kai snickered in amusement, “Don’t monkey around too long aheheheh!” The old Kai laughed before the monkey took off at a blistering speed leaving Goku and Chi-Chi to slowly stomp their feet as they attempted walking after it. They had less than 10 months to get some training in and apparently this was going to be quite the training regimine. 


	3. King Kai

“How is he able to move in this?!” Chi-Chi exclaimed as she struggled to maintain more than a light jogging pace while on King Kai’s world. Goku was still moving along slowly, but his increased weight load of nearly six tons holding down his limbs was making his struggle much greater, she was maintaining at around two tons but still it was ridiculous that this monkey could outright sprint and climb trees without breaking a sweat. 

“Well, did you expect it to be easy?” King Kai chuckled sitting back on his patio furniture. “He’s giving you both the banana splits!” Cackling at his own dumb joke while Bubbles split the two of them waving his arms. Chi-Chi just shouted in aggravation as she swiped at him but was unable to get close.

Forbidden from taking off their weighted clothes as to keep the difficulty up, both of them could probably catch Bubbles without them but King Kai said he didn’t want their training to end after just a month.

Goku didn’t have time to vocalize his own misery as his entire concentration was just moving each foot with slow and dedicated steps. Sweat was completely pouring off his body to the point his body was awash in a sheen of testosterone - one that Chi-Chi began to enjoy - as his normally bright orange gi was a damp brown. The squelching sounds of his feet followed wherever he went.

King Kai just smiled, his newest students were good prospects, from barely being able to stand and move a month ago they were actually making steady progress. But they were missing a crucial detail about this exercise. “I know they are both powerful fighters, both with their pride, and desire to succeed and while I know they can overcome this challenge. They can do better if they weren’t stewing in that obvious frustration.”

The lord of the North wasn’t blind, not that his telepathic powers didn’t show that Goku and Chi-Chi had an obvious chemistry together. Both desired the other, yet they did not take that next step. Looking to the other to breach that barrier.    
  


_ Goku is reserved, valuing a friend's well being and perception of himself and others physical and mental well being more than his own. A childish heart beats within the body of a man who has been feeling the scaling and desires of how race for the first time. The ability to focus and meditate the days problems away but when it comes to his deeper feelings Goku is trepid. The loss of those close to him and failings to protect people who matter to him leaves deep marks in his soul. _

Sipping his tea as he evaluated his pupils, King Kai could say that this was a bit of an honor for him. So rare was it to be able to train fighters that were so compatible, but guiding what should’ve been obvious wasn’t to the two of them.

Chi-Chi dove at the monkey, her body skidding across the ground. Spitting out the grass that peppered her teeth, she turned back and shot the poor Bubbles into fright as he bounded away and just managed to avoid running into Goku who swiped at him with his arm.

Goku lost his well-maintained balance, spinning once before landing right on his ass. The small world left with a small aftershock as Goku let out a whine of pain. Rubbing his poor backside with a frown.

_ Chi-Chi, however, is headstrong, determined and independent. She offered herself to Goku but saw that he wasn’t ready. Whether that is true only fate knows the answer. I wonder if she sought to prove that answer herself by living a life like him. That it might make her like him in either an effort to prove that it wasn’t meant to be or understand him better than before?  _

His mind reading abilities could sense that Goku had a lustful attraction to Chi-Chi’s physique, but did not understand his own natural reactions. The Kai understood that Goku knew what love was, but he lacked the ability to grasp its many forms. Loving was difficult when you bury your heart after losing someone dear to you, opening yourself back up to that kind of loss is hard when you were but a child and no one else to support your growth for years.

In a near similar situation, Chi-Chi would confess herself to Goku but unwilling to have him turn away like he had done before. She probably could convince Goku to be with her, but that wouldn’t be right. His student was a romantic where it was the man’s job to take a woman’s hand, pledge their mind, body, and soul to a woman. If Goku would but tell her that he loved her she would be his forever. But then again Goku was afraid, but which would come first, Goku confessing his feelings or Chi-Chi’s loss of patience…  _ ‘it's like the classic what came first the chicken or the egg?’  _

“That’s enough! Lunch time!” King Kai announced, holding up his arm signaling an end to the training session. “Five hours is good for the morning run, you can take off your weights and then get some food, rest, and start back up again.”

Chi-Chi’s head fell as she and Goku were still no closer to catching one quick little monkey. Granted they were weighed down by massive weights, but even still they should’ve managed something in the weeks they’d been here.

Goku happily removed his weights, his feet screaming out as new obvious calluses and blisters were forming as he moved around in the intense pressure. “Ahhhh haahhh.” He said as he even winced looking at how banged up his limbs were. Slightly limping Goku got up, favoring his foot as he breathed, the shooting pain upon having the regular blood flow go back into his foot made the pain he’d been keeping suppressed return with a vengeance.

“You alright?” Chi-Chi asked him to come over having dropped her own weights and while she had some slight bruises from her own weights, it was nothing like Goku’s own ravaged body. 

“Yea-Yeah, my feet just hurt.” He said trying to smile and laugh off his pain as it being no big deal. Chi-Chi’s eyes looked down and saw something much different.

“That is not fine Goku, we need to bandage those up.” She was shocked at how bad they looked, “No wonder you’re always struggling after we’re done training. You need to take care of yourself.”

“No, Cheech, it’s fine really. They’ve been worse. I just have to get used to the weights then I'll be fine.” Downplaying, Goku knew he couldn’t afford to take time off training. Now that they were here, there was no time to be wasted. They had less than nine months until the saiyans arrived. Goku's reasoning in his mind was sound, Chi-Chi didn’t need to worry about some minor foot blisters and cuts.

Shaking her head, “absolutely not Goku,” “But Chi-” “No buts!” She interrupted, “Put your arm around my shoulder, I’ll help you back and then we are going to patch up your feet.”

“B-But what about lunch?” He said his stomach pains were greater than his feet.

“Feet first, then food and if you keep on whining I won’t make anymore dinner for you!” Her challenging tone only matched by the intense glare she gave him. When Goku finally hung his head in defeat, “Good, glad you see reason.”

“You don’t fight fair though,” He muttered pouting, his eyes looking away from her as she helped him walk. 

“Oh you haven’t seen me fight unfair, Goku,” Smirking, she helped Goku back to the small house, they had their small double cots lined up next to each other. But first- “Shower, we aren’t going to risk your feet getting infected by all that sweat.” The thick ripe aroma of Goku didn’t phase her like it used to. It wasn’t repulsive like one would imagine a pair of smelly gym shorts. It was the kind only a hardworking person had after a long day of earning their keep. The satisfying smell of success and Goku’s was quite rich.

Goku groaned but his mouth closed when he got another look from his training partner. “Fine.” Dropping his sopping wet shirt into the wicker hamper that was beside where they got to change just outside. Goku then in a fluid motion removed his pants and drawers.

But as he did Chi-Chi turned, at this point unaffected by Goku’s nudity, she’d seen it plenty before by now. Yet she looked at his back, large bruises were forming underneath his skin, the weights that pulled down against his normal tan skin leaving grooves and molding to his flesh, his body under an even more painful strain than just his feet. 

At least ten different obvious scars were on his back, one from where the hole had been blasted through his chest by Piccolo, others from most of his fights that he’d been apart of since he was a boy, now he seemed to be only adding to his list by this grueling training. “Goku… what are you doing to yourself?” She sighed, he wasn’t taking care of himself at all. He was brutalizing his body, even if they were dead this wasn’t right.

He’d forgotten about hiding those form Chi-Chi, he’d rarely take his clothes off until they were done for the day and he’d do his cooldown stretches while Chi-Chi showered and got ready to rest for the evening. Looking at the small reflection of himself in the aluminum shower, Goku knew what had gotten his friend’s attention. “It’s no big deal.”

“Goku!” She almost shouted at him, “You can not do this to yourself, it’s not healthy or safe. For you to be breaking yourself like this.” 

He disagreed, “That doesn’t matter! I- WE have to get stronger, who cares about a little pain if it means we get stronger and better because of it. I trained like this with Master Roshi, Mr. Popo, and many others just like this.”

“I understand that Goku, I’m here with you remember. But just look at yourself. There isn’t a square foot of yourself that isn’t covered in cuts, bumps, and bruises!” Her hand gesturing from top to bottom.

“So what?” He repeated, he didn’t understand her getting upset over what he did to himself. “Chi-Chi it’s worth it.”

“NO!” She put her foot forward and put a finger right in his face, “Goku there is no possible reason for you to be breaking yourself like this, what if all this training ends up only destroying your body later. If you end destroying your body before we even get the chance.”

“Chi-Chi, I have to do this.” His eyes narrowed and she turned to look back at her, his reasons should be his own, but Chi-Chi clearly disagreed, he saw how hard she was working and didn’t bother questioning her about it. So why was she getting so upset over a few injuries? `”I died because I wasn’t strong enough, this will make me stronger.” 

“No we weren’t prepared, you were plenty strong, you still are strong, you’re the strongest person I know but you can’t just ruin your future because of this, no matter how extreme it is.” She’d give him that he wanted to be strong, to not be unprepared for something like his brother appearing again. But this was almost being sadistic. 

He let out a snort from his nose, she was being stubborn again. “No, I was weak and I HAVE to get stronger, this is the only way!” His voice was rising up into a yell.

“No this isn’t,” “YES IT IS-!” “NO IT ABSOLUTELY IS NOT!” They were both yelling at each other now, Goku and Chi-Chi were face to face. “Give me one good reason why you are tearing yourself to shreds and I’ll drop this whole topic right now Goku.” She challenged him, her voice in a low rumble, her nose just an inch from his. Goku’s eyes were shaking with anger, but it wasn’t directed towards her though her attitude was helping to shape it.

“I don’t need to tell you.” He said moving to turn away, how could he tell her that he was doing this because he was afraid. Afraid of something that was both beyond and in his control. The kind of thing that had given him nightmares when reminded of how it had been that day.

_ Chi-Chi’s pain stricken face, the pleading look in her eyes begging him to help save her. The way his brother had forcibly kissed Chi-Chi pushing his lips over hers as she in vain disgust tried to free herself only to be carted off against her will.  _

_ The echoing words of his brothers about his warning, what would happen if he failed never left his head. How he’d be forced to watch as his friend would be violated in the worst kind of way. Because he was weak, all too weak.  _

That realization had been a big turning point, he was no longer just training to be the strongest. He was training to never be that weak, his friends becoming vulnerable and their suffering would only result in his failings. 

Since his grandpa died Goku had been predisposed to very few nightmares, they had gradually lessened fading as he got older. But since he’d died when he sought out sleep or rest he was wracked with fresh guilt. The notion that he’d killed his own grandfather and that his friends were now put in danger once again because of him.

_ Me… it’s always my fault.  _ Placing the burden of the world up on his shoulders. This was all a result of him, no one asked him to be an alien, to kill his grandpa and subject those he cared about to his failings.

So this was why… but how could he tell that to Chi-Chi, admit that he was afraid of being weak. 

“Goku for once just open up, I’ve seen you off on and on for years now, I know how you hide your pain, all the frustrations that you accumulate. You think I don’t notice it? So just drop the act and tell me the truth!” 

It was time for the ‘adult’ to intervene. Stopping just off to the side of both of them King Kai cleared his throat loudly. Both looked at him briefly but then shot back to glaring at one another. “You two have never come clean about your feelings have you?” The god just smiled, mortal lives always made complicated by such issues of the heart. 

“I’ve been up front with mine, getting Goku to speak two words about how he feels is like trying to move a mountain with a spoon.” Chi-Chi grumbled, her hands gesturing towards Goku, dumping the blame on him in hopes of getting him to say anything.

He didn’t take the bait and looked away, his heart again was telling him things to do. Chi-Chi was a close friend, possibly the closest one he’d had since he won the tournament. All of the fun they’d had made him realize just how different she was by comparison to the many lives that had touched him before. How did he vocalize both his care and concern for her without being seen as weak?  _ I’m supposed to be the strongest. _

“And that is  _ exactly  _ the problem.” King Kai said holding up his hand in declaration. His two black antenna twitched signaling to Goku that he was speaking to him. 

“Stop reading my mind King Kai, you know I don’t like that.” Goku said offended, his thoughts and body were his own. There wasn’t anyone else who had a right to know the reasons for them.

“When you don’t open up to those around you, Goku, you end up isolating not only yourself, but those of whom you care for.” The Kai kept his neutral smile, “Goku, do you dislike your friends who are weak?”

“No,” The answer was immediate, “They’re my friends, I like them the way they are.” 

_ Bingo.  _ “Then what is Chi-Chi to you Goku?” Opening the air to a question that had been tenuous of both of them. 

“King Kai?” Chi-Chi asked, not sure if she was comfortable herself having someone else push this on them. “We don’t need to talk about relationships, this is about Goku’s health and well being. Isn’t that more important?”

The Kai just laughed, “Oh but this is the root of the problem, you who is afraid to speak the truth out of fear of rejection a second time.” He slowly turned his head towards Goku, “You, my other student, are afraid to express your feelings to her. You like her but you don’t want to feel hurt and pain again. Blinding those who might love you because you just keep pushing through life. Ignore what makes you,” Bringing his palm up he gestured to all of Goku, “You, Goku, there is more to your life. You aren’t some ronin who travels the world in order to leave some fruitful life, you had a goal to become stronger and you did. You saw the world through different eyes as you haven’t truly lived.”

Goku felt the weight of a sledgehammer hitting at his pride and self worth, “Stop please.” But the Kai was not going to remain idle. The tension had clearly been building and it needed to stop, if he didn’t finally nip this bud then Goku and Chi-Chi wouldn’t ever reach their highest potential. 

“You want Chi-Chi, you don’t see her like your other friends, you enjoy her company, your play fights, the wrestling, and how she isn’t like anyone else but so much like yourself.”

Chi-Chi’s eyes widened looking to King Kai but then to Goku,  _ Is he saying?  _ As if her heart didn’t need more strain on this gravity intense world.

“Goku, why don’t you ever act on your feelings for her? Is there a problem with her?” He swept his arm towards her. Goku was breathing heavier, his body was trembling as the layers were being broken down and exposing the boy who had grown into a man, a boy who didn’t want to be a boy, yet the man was too afraid to be more than that boy. “You see a woman not a friend, you want her to be more than a friend, but if you do you don’t know what will happen. You worry that you’ll lose her just-”

  
“STOP!” Goku cried out, his eyes filling with painful tears. “Don’t say anymore please.” Dropping down to his knees Goku brought his hands grasping the sides of his face, his eyes peering through the web made by his fingers. 

The Kai looked back to Chi-Chi and smiled, “I’ll leave the rest to you, but if you won’t I got some great knock knock jokes-”   
  


Chi-Chi ignored him and moved down to wrap her arms around Goku’s head. Maybe she was being more crass than she should’ve, but this was the first real glimpse into this man who’d captured her heart. He sniffed as Chi-Chi rested her head against his. “I care about you Goku.” She told him softly whispering in his ear, “I watched you die and seeing you do this to yourself now… Goku tell me that you are okay.”

Okay? He hadn’t been okay since his Grandpa died. The scars had shrunk but the wound still bled and since his brother’s arrival they had only grown and began to fester. It was poison in his veins and Chi-Chi was filling a void he wanted to leave blank. 

  
“It's okay Goku, just talk to me.” She told him, running her fingers through his hair. Feeling Goku shed tears against her shoulder made her feel guilty for yelling at him,  _ I really don’t know him as well as I thought.  _ They remained that way until Goku wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her into him, burying his head into her neck so that he might take comfort from the only person who meant something to since he had been seven. 

King Kai just looked, a satisfied look on his face. He’d get lunch ready by himself, but happy that he was starting to get through such hard heads. Neither party would open up without a little  **shove** so he did what got them into a position they both needed.

Five minutes later Goku looked up and into Chi-Chi’s face, his tears having faded but not the redness in his remorseful eyes. “I’m sorry,” It was all he could say. 

“I wasn’t being fair either, I’m sorry too.” She told him still rubbing the back of his scalp. As she looked at this man she felt something pulling deep within herself,  _ ask him… ask him again.  _ Why was it so hard? Just a few simple words to a man she’d shared so many days with and who had occupied her thoughts even more. 

Goku swallowed before talking, “Chi-Chi, I… I like that you care and I, well, I care about you too,” He paused watching the way her eyes began to shine, that feeling stirring within himself. It made him feel both powerful and weak. “it’s just I can’t… you know I’m not good with words.” 

“When Raditz came, well I was scared. Scared that you’d get hurt in a way that made me angry at myself. But, there’s also a part of me that wants to act out when I’m near you. But if I do it, I don’t know how I’ll feel after.” He wanted to reach out, sink his teeth into her neck, mark her then wrap his arms around her and then never let her go. She would be his and no one could take that from him. 

Misunderstanding Goku’s words, Chi-Chi felt her lips trembling.  _ ‘We’re so alike…’  _ Bringing one hand to his face cupping his cheek Chi-Chi saw that struggle. “Do you trust me?” But Goku didn’t answer, “Can I show you how I feel? Because keeping these feelings inside for the last five years has been difficult. I promise I won’t hurt you.”

He nodded to that but added, “I know you wouldn’t hurt me I…” His voice slipped away as Chi-Chi leaned in, bringing her hands around his head and touching her lips to his. Softly kissing Goku before letting her tongue flick out and lick at his upper lip. She’d been studying how to do the ‘right’ kiss, waiting for Goku to say the words that would have her in this exact moment. But with as close as they had just come to a ‘I love you’ in years it was worth her preparation. Pushing their face closer, Chi-Chi drew her hands back to hold his face as she continued softly pushing her lips against his own.

Goku froze, his mind going slightly blank, he forgot about biting Chi-Chi, he just enjoyed the sensation of her lips against his own.  _ ‘Kissing’  _ He’d seen people like Bulma and Yamcha do it, even Launch, or Panchy had kissed him before though not like this. It didn’t feel like this. Her soft tongue licked just along his canine as it dabbled into his mouth. Goku clenched his eyes shut- then wrapped his arms around her. His own mouth following against hers. Though he was sloppy, uncoordinated, he made up for inexperience with pure voraciousness. Chi-Chi flopped over backwards, her sweaty clothes stuck to his chest as the prospect of a nude Goku laid overtop of her while they were on a planet of a Kai.

But to hell with decorum, she’d waited years for this. Kissing him back, the pair didn’t stop. “Chi-Chi.” He said, “Goku,'' she mumbled back. Her hands were all over him. Even as he winced as she pressed down hard on one of the injuries or bruises she was was so worried about before, Goku did not object, he welcomed it. His one hand kept her face close, he just wanted to keep their lips touching in between short breaths as the other held the small of her back as he lay between her hips.

King Kai didn’t say anything as Bubbles pointed but the North God just smacked his wrist and pointed away.  _ When you live to be millions of years old like me, you can’t help but think back to how it was when you were young.  _ Putting some headphones on the Kai would wait until the pair got their fill of each other. 

The physical and emotional tension broken, King Kai would just have to avoid becoming a delivery doctor before things got too serious.  _ ‘Oh that’s a good one, what do you get when you get a Kai, a saiyan, and a human!’  _ Laughing at his own stupid jokes the Kai just calmly ate his lunch, ready to see what results would bear fruit.

It was later that evening, Goku and Chi-Chi having finished a marathon make out session of almost thirty minutes. The pair showered, after which Chi-Chi tended to Goku’s injuries. The world’s strongest man decided to let her have this one-but promising no needles - working on cleaning up the blisters and then putting ointment on his bruises. 

Sitting on one of the cots, she worked into taking care of him,  _ ‘just like Grandpa’  _ Goku remembered how this was so similar. But with Chi-Chi her fingers felt nicer than the ones from his memories. She softened when he winced, and softly hummed while she worked. Warmth and levity brought to a normal boring day. Applying the wraps to his arms and legs before then setting some ice bags onto his swollen muscles and then applying heating pads to his exposed back. 

Being taken care of was special, and Chi-Chi made it something more. He did not feel compelled to bite her. The taste of her lips and tongue quelling the beast inside of him for now, yet he still enjoyed the thought of sinking his teeth into her pulse. “There, that should be fine and you can just recover.” Chi-Chi said running her fingers through his hair.

“Thank you,” He said, his head turning to let half of his face show sincerity. 

Leaning down she kissed his cheek, “You are very welcome, now get some rest.”

“Wait.” Goku’s voice stopping her as she moved to get up from where she had been resting. She settled back down as Goku didn’t want her to leave. “Could you stay? Just a little longer?” Watching as her head nodded, Goku exhaled relieved. But then she moved up by his face, stretching her legs out she lifted Goku’s face and laid him across her lap. While he would’ve protested why she was doing this, her legs felt so much more comfortable, with her still playing with his hair and scalp Goku just closed his eyes.

One might not believe the incredible strain and pressure the two were under if looking at them now. But as Chi-Chi continued to rub Goku’s head soothingly the saiyan’s breathing slowed and became heavier as he found a measure of peace. Though as he remained there his nose couldn’t help but detect that faint spice that Chi-Chi’s scent had gained whenever it was just them and not training, eating, or arguing. How’d they’d spend their evenings laying together after a long and brutal day of training. They were all incredibly worn down and often relying on each other to help each other through the days.

The kind of smell he wouldn’t mind smelling any day. Kind of like a really nice warm meal that smelled of peppers, and fresh herbs. Or a good marinated steak and dry rubbed chicken or fish. Chi-Chi had shown him how to do that stuff even with basic ingredients in the wild making his meals much more tasty. Yet this one teased his mind, made him want to stick his nose between her legs and just suck it in. If she wasn’t opposed to it he’d ask for her for a taste or two. Usually things that smelled that good, had the same qualities in flavor. 

So lost in the moment and drunk on her smell, Goku began to babble openly and honestly. “Chi-Chi… you smell amazing.” His voice heavily drugged as he was pulled down into the depths of sleep. Vocalizing his words made Chi-Chi giggle.

“Thank you Goku, but I guess any person who was once drenched in sweat after taking a shower would smell nice.” Her voice teasing him as she scraped a finger along his ear making Goku’s body tremble slightly.    
  


“Well I like you sweaty too, but right here. I can just lay here and smell you all day.” 

“Such high praise, is it the fresh air that dries out our clothes or just the smell of nature that I know you enjoy so much. Everytime we met up back on Earth I could never get you to go to a hotel to crash. Always had to be under the stars or in a hammock, I’d swear you’d enjoy a rock more than a pillow sometimes.” Teasing him slightly, but it was true, Goku was an outdoor person.  _ ‘Never able to sit still.’ _

“I’ll sleep in your lap anyday.” He told her honestly, “Especially when you are just smelling sooo  _ good.”  _ his voice purred, rubbing his smooth chin along her skin.

“Oh such a romantic,” She flirted back lightly, her face blush growing deeper as she looked down at Goku’s face. Part of her wondering, “Say… Goku.”

“Hmm?” He said as he was still enjoying his position in her lap. “What?”

_ God why was this hard to say, they’d been so… so… close earlier.  _ She smoothed her hand down Goku’s neck, “Goku, once we’re all done with the saiyans, provided we don’t die again, would you reconsider what I proposed five years ago?”

She was now staring at a pair of wide awake pair of obsidian pupils. “You mean, you being my bride?”

Chi-Chi appreciated that he remembered. “Yes, I know it’s not ever the right time. But seeing how fleeting our lives could be… would you consider it again?”

Consider? Back then he hadn’t really thought about it, a bride, marriage? All of it was way to foreign to him, but he’d grown up-a small amount - and taking more of the world he knew. People had asked him before why he wasn’t married on his travels and he often found he couldn’t ever answer the question.

It had been one of his trips back up in Jingle Village, the frozen tundra not his favorite but he’d gone to visit old friends Eighter and Suno. Eighter hadn’t changed in the slightest, being an android was probably why that was, but then Suno. She’d really changed physically, she’d got much taller and well rounded. 

_ “So… Goku? You uhm seeing anyone?” Suno had slid closer to him, not that he cared. He was busy enjoying the lunch he’d been given. The teen saiyan less interested in the way Suno had provocatively dressed herself with a low cut top and extra short shorts as they lounged in her house. The only thing mildly bothering him was that Suno had on some perfume, it was a bit too fruity for his nose but he could ignore it if he tried. _

_ “Well I see a lot of people Suno,” Goku answered, the true question going right over his head “I see my friends sometimes but I do meet a whole lot of new people since I’ve been traveling.” _

_ “Well that’s a big duh Goku, I mean are you involved or seeing anyone in particular. Kinda like a girlfriend, fiance, or by chance into guys?”  _

_ Goku looked up at her confused. “What’s that mean? Into guys?” _

_ “That’s probably a no!” She laughed at Goku’s expression. “Goku, are you ever considering settling down and getting married? You don’t exactly strike me as the swinging bachelor type who enjoys his one night stands.” _

_ He was just more confused, “Huh?” What was it with girls when they talked about relationships, Bulma was always weird when it came to her boyfriends, Launch had different personalities, leaving really only Chi-Chi. “Well I do run into one of my friends, she’s a girl like you.” _

_ “Like me?” She asked, her voice curious. “I can’t say I know a Chi-Chi, but tell me about her, is she a stunning redhead?” _

_ “No, she’s a girl,” making Suno laugh, “Hmm, well she’s got black hair, she’s the daughter of the Ox King who was one of my Grandpa’s friends.” _

_ “Ox King’s daughter hmmm. Is she a really big girl that wields a huge axe like her dad?” Doing her best to try and picture an image of a more rotund woman was a more feminine version of the King of Fire Mountain. _

_ “No, Chi-Chi’s nowhere near as big as her dad and she's also stronger than him now.” Goku put a hand to his chin as he did his best to describe her. “She’s got a ponytail and she used to wear a cheongsam that was pink and blue but she dropped it so she could train more like me and wears blue and white with really heavy weights.” _

_ “Sounds like one tough girl, I’m guessing your type?” She asked as Goku hadn’t even given her the slightest inkling of interest in herself. She was putting on a full display and the guy barely seemed to either notice or care. But she was dealing with Goku and considering what he’d done for her she’d cut him a lot of slack. _

_ “She does know the Turtle School of fighting, she got really good at it when we fought one another at the last tournament.” _ _   
  
_

_ “You fought her?” Goku nodded, “Now I see, but I’d guess a girl would have to be pretty strong to put up with you.” Sticking her tongue out partially teasing him. “So what else is there about here?” _

_ “She did ask me to make her my bride.” Goku laughed, making Suno’s eyes go wide. “WHAT?!” His laughter only increased at her reaction. “That’s kinda what all of my friends said too,” he kept his grin on his face as he thought back about it. “But we were kids when we made that promise and I had forgotten about it… though she seemed sad about it she said that if I didn’t want to marry her I didn’t have to. She wanted me to love her and want to be with her because it was my choice, she thought that I was serious back as a kid and would keep to my word. But since it had been so long she realized that it probably wasn’t right for both of us. I do kinda wonder what it would’ve been like If I had sorta married Chi-Chi. Sounds like it could’ve been fun… but.” _

_ “But what?” Suno pressed, kinda seemed like this was sort of a fairytale story and yet Goku just shut it down.  _

_   
_ _ He looked down at his knees, “I’m not sure how it would feel.” Though his words didn’t convey the whole conflict that he was going through. There was something about the idea of marriage that just didn’t really make him feel good. Suno kept quiet looking at her friend who was thinking quite hard on what he wanted to say next. “Well, I know that people get married now, to live together which wouldn’t bother me. But then people say you have to really grow up, that you have to get a job, then most married people have kids and I don’t know how to raise kids. I mean if they were about my age when Chi-Chi found me I think that I would be alright-” _

_ Suno started laughing and put a hand around his shoulders. “Goku, Goku that happens with everyone though, come on you could easily get a job, there’s gotta be something you’re good at if you won the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament.” _

_ Goku frowned, “But if I got a job I wouldn’t be able to train, I couldn’t explore the world and then I’d have to live with Chi-Chi and I don’t know how I could do that.” _

_ “Why is that a problem you seem to have a good opinion of her, she’s i’m guessing good looking, a fighter like you, and likes you. Sounds like a good deal to me.” _

_ Goku shook his head, “But the only person I ever lived with was Grandpa I-,” He stopped before he divulged how much it hurt to lose his Grandpa. “I don’t know how I’d live with someone, let alone a girl, I mean what would I even do?”  _

_ There it was. Suno saw it, “Goku are you nervous about living with someone?” _

_ He wanted to say no, but he wasn’t sure, “Maybe. It feels kinda suffocating. Like everyone says this person would be good for you, or I’d make a great wife I’d do anything you told me to!” His hands gesturing like many women had done before which only unnerved him more and assured him that he was right not to get married. “I mean I barely know Chi-Chi, then I’d have to live with her but then what would I do?” _

_ Suno just smiled and rubbed his arm. “Goku, of all the people to be worried about something as trivial as this I would never have guessed it to be you…. How about you just give it a try, if it doesn’t workout you don’t have to stay married you know?” Which led down to a whole new line of questioning. _

But this was different, and he’d spent more time with Chi-Chi since he’d last seen Suno and even now they’d been together for awhile and he hadn’t even thought about it.  _ ‘If it’s like this… then,’  _ Goku looked up at her and smiled. “Chi-Chi… I think… we should.”

She paused, thinking for a second, then another, her eyes blinked. “R-Really?” Goku nodded his head against her legs. 

“I mean I was kind of worried about how it would be spending time with someone for a long time. But since we’ve been here together for the past few months and well it’s been good and-” Goku could feel the change in the energy in the air as Chi-Chi brought herself down to smother her lips over his. The kiss was forceful and short, yet he could feel just how happy Chi-Chi was. 

“Oh Goku, you made me so happy!” Curse her for bubbling up over this, she’d spent months with this man and now that he’d agreed to give ‘them’ a real chance she just couldn’t stop all of the waves of emotions rolling over her. Kissing him again Chi-Chi’s own powerful aura made Goku smile back. If this was what it was supposed to be, being married, Goku wouldn’t mind it at all. 

[***]

Finally! After what felt like pointless aggravating training, Chi-Chi was victorious! “Gotcha!” Holding up Bubbles who hooted and hollered like well, an animal, as he had finally been bested and caught by Chi-Chi. But she hadn’t been alone. Chi-Chi made up for being the brain and speed while Goku was brawn. Goku who could manage a heavy run for short bursts, his feet carrying enough power and force to shake the very ground had startled Bubbles who wasn’t ready for the uptick in pace so quickly.

Chi-Chi had capitalized and then came at Bubbles from a side angle forcing the ape to cut another path, but he couldn’t do a sharp turn, he risked being caught by Chi-Chi who was nearly as fast as him and as agile after acclimating to her weights and gravity. This then left him to flee but Goku rounded the planet and followed Chi-Chi’s path on a direct intercept course once again forcing Bubbles to change direction, but as he did he failed to realize that Chi-Chi wasn’t directly chasing him anymore and came from the front snatching him up.

“Excellent, teamwork is invaluable you see.” King Kai said smiling as Bubbles got put down and then applauded himself in approval. “You both have gotten much stronger in these last two months. Leaving us with six more months until the arrival of the saiyans on Earth, more than enough time for you two to perform my second trial and prove yourselves worthy of my training. Not that he was telling the whole truth, the reason for his training was two fold. One was to evaluate their current abilities and improve them, the second was to harden their bodies and minds so that when they utilized his techniques they would be able to withstand the immense power coursing through them. 

“What? There’s another one?” Chi-Chi exclaimed as the Kai nodded, “Wasn’t two months learning to catch your monkey enough?” Bubbles yelled in disapproval but the Kai shook his head.

“Did you really think that would be enough? Now don’t worry this one should be just as entertaining.”

“Yes, more training.” Goku said excited, although he’d love to learn new techniques this had been a tremendous hurdle for him to overcome. The metric tons of weight had slowed him down to the point initially where he could barely walk and now he was able to run. He couldn’t wait to see how intense this new trial would be.

“Good attitude Goku, reminds me of the joke about-”

  
“Please no more jokes King Kai, can we just move forward?” Chi-Chi groaned, she’d heard at least ten thousand knock knock jokes in four months, she was slowly losing her mind to the drivel that a guardian could spew out.

King Kai made a sound of disbelief putting his hands on his hips, “You kids just don’t appreciate a good joke, but since you’re so interested in getting to the next trial… allow me to introduce you to your next objective.. OH GREGORY!” The Kai yelled out to the air.

_ ‘Who’s Gregory?’  _ Both Chi-Chi and Goku wondered as they hadn’t seen anyone else besides the four beings currently standing on King Kai’s planet. But from nowhere a bright ball floated down and arrived beside King Kai. WIth a pop appeared a brown bug of sorts to Goku and Chi-Chi.

“Hey there, name’s Gregory guess you guys are King Kai’s new trainees.” The bug Gregory talked to which Goku and Chi-Chi just looked at each other.

“Yes they are Gregory, now-” King Kai waved his hand in front of them appeared two massive hammers. “Here are your hammers and all you have to do is hit Gregory one time to pass this challenge.” 

“Yep, and don’t you worry about hurting me I’m made of tough stuff.” Gregory tapped his body for emphasis that he wasn’t afraid of being hit.

Goku grabbed his hammer first and found the huge weight to nearly make him fall over. “Whoa this thing is heavy.” Chi-Chi was already weary and when she struggled to lift the huge blue hammer off the ground and into the air she could barely find a balance to hold it. Instead she had to wing it over her shoulder and nearly fell backwards. “Heavy, this thing weighs a ton!” She shouted as she could barely swing the thing around without her shoulders threatening to rip out from their sockets. “Wait, King Kai you can’t be-”

“Good luck!” He waved to them as he was already walking away.

“Come on slow pokes try and hit MEE-!” Gregory shouted shooting between them in his ball of energy form. Leaving Goku who barely managed to lift the thing up to swing before he fell dropping the hammer.

Chi-Chi who managed to bring it back up and have the heavy weight resting on the tops of her shoulder was straining already. She thought the gravity was intense just running, now she was supposed to wield a club and hit a bug?  _ This training is so stupid!  _ But she didn’t have the opportunity to argue as they were taunted by the brown bug and Chi-Chi gave chase slowly as Goku, partially able to wield the giant hammer took the lead.

Things looked like they were only going to get rougher from here…

Another week of brutal cat and mouse with the cat carrying a giant sledgehammer left Goku and Chi-Chi fully whooped. Their large blue cumbersome mallets left outside as they could barely lift their arms after swinging the things all day as Greogry had done his best to remain within reach that they might have a shot at hitting him only to move out of the way quickly.

The carrot at the end of a stick tied to close but both were clearly not even close to ready. Looking forward to more months of grueling training just like before. But… Goku and Chi-Chi had each other. Becoming closer and closer as they relied upon each other for emotional support and encouragement. Though Chi-Chi often needed both more than Goku, she helped keep him motivated to improve. Chi-Chi was working through it and Goku had no reason to not give it his all too.

But it came down to the quiet moments, after twelve plus hours of swinging hammers that weighed like cars attached to light poles the two got to share in some peace with one another.

Chi-Chi removed her clothes, though her arms violently protested, she managed to slip both arms through her sleeves and let them fall flat along her sides while shrugging the shirt off of her. The weighted vest… well Goku was helpful for that as with one hard toss the cumbersome vest came off and hit the ground. “Oooh, so much better already.” Chi-Chi felt the relief come pouring off of her as her body readjusted to its much lessened weight.

Goku pulled at the thick straps of his own clothes undoing them while dropping his head through the thick weighted material. Chi-Chi helped push it off of him with an unceremonious crash. The rest of their bottoms quickly falling suit as they left them strewn over the ground both now fully nude. The duo haven gotten used to it by now, there was no point in modesty when they planned on being together after all of this. 

“You’ve gotten way more definition, Chi-Chi.” Goku complimented running a finger down the small of her back making her release a light ooh and twitch as he moved down the well defined path, her muscles were much more visible. Her legs were becoming less curved and detailed into raw muscle. Even her more noticeable twelve pack was quite the view for Goku. He’d shed a lot of his own bulk for more muscle as even with his food intake increasing despite being dead, his body had become more ripped. 

“Thank you,” She said smiling as she started the outdoor shower. Goku and Chi-Chi often shared showers now, while Goku was more capable of washing both of them but it didn’t feel nearly as good when Chi-Chi washed him. “You’re getting quite rugged yourself.” Flirting just a little bit as she let one of her nails run up the center of his body to his neck.

Stepping in first, Chi-Chi let her face get splashed with the jets of water. Tilting her head back slightly letting her long ebony locks regain their luster as the water took away the grit and grime. Her hair had grown longer since they had arrived, unlike Goku’s ever present spikes which rarely changed, Chi-Chi now had her hair bound up in an extra long ponytail, a red sash keeping her locks together as she tied what remained in a small braid at the end which unraveled with a few pulls. Cresting just below her ass, Goku loved putting his hands in her hair, especially when he got to was it with King Kai’s extra fuller, stronger, shine shampoo. Strictly provided for the gods but since he was bald he didn’t have a use for it.

Squirting some of the silvery liquid into his palm Goku began to lather up her hair, taking care to keep her eyes shampoo free. In mere seconds what was once beaten up black hair became so full and lustrous Goku’s nose was ready to bury it in her long strands and breathe in deeply. It was extra rich, and although it wasn’t as good as that wet smell Chi-Chi got around him sometimes when they had a moment of down time, this was so good it made him look forward to it everyday.

Using his fingers to slide down through her hair leaving shiny silver streaks as the powerful shampoo did its work Goku worked back up to scrub her scalp and forehead. Chi-Chi leaned back into him, letting her hair dangle around his knees while she grunted approvingly. A side benefit was Goku looked down at Chi-Chi’s breasts. The soft fluffy pillows that once seemed odd now fascinated him, they were round, enough to fit in his palms and held themselves upright, if anything they had gotten bigger just like the rest of her body.

He smoothed down from her head to her neck pausing only briefly before cupping her huge melons in his hands. The nipples always hardened and perked up when he did this, which he didn’t mind as the white foamy mess covered her chest. 

It was as close to erotica as Chi-Chi would let it go, knowing that she was sorely tempted to start fooling around, but not while there was a literal God only so many meters away, - she always maintained herself. A little fun to take the edge off after a long day was one thing. But she could imagine that being dead also kept her hormones in check and not going too crazy…  _ ‘though whatever happened with Princess Snake, I don’t know what was going on there I just felt different.’ _

Once Goku had fully cleaned, Chi-Chi she returned his attention and set him down in the shower on a stool. Using her hands to cup large handfuls of water and let it splash over Goku’s head. The saiyan just sighed in contentment as she gave his head fair play.

_ ‘Spending time with someone like this.’  _ Goku thought, lost in the sensations of such comfort, all the good times growing up flooded back to him.  _ ‘Maybe I should’ve done the whole marriage thing if it was going to be like this.’  _ Of course he had other concerns but those were as far from his brain as Earth was from his actual body. This was just pure bliss. Being washed by someone else, then on top of that Chi-Chi’s cooking which he’d had a few times before hand became a regularity. 

To him this was paradise with only a sore body to pay for it. Endless training and getting stronger, that rush of a new challenge had always been the thing that kept him going forward, to spending evenings being bathed and then dinner before finally relaxing and resting so that their bodies could recover.

While he didn’t need as much rest as Chi-Chi, usually four hours was plenty. He found himself sleeping with her was, simply put, nice. It was a way for him to focus on something else. While they slept right next to each other on their cots. Chi-Chi would be softly breathing, her face missing all of the days hard stress and worry of the feature. Covered by a sea of raven black hair that smelled perfect from the night before, he helped maintain that wonderful smell and look. 

If he was lucky, Chi-Chi would roll over in her sleep, sometimes discarding the sheet and instead drawing closer to him. The mere idea that someone could draw such comfort from the simple act as sleeping beside someone was far out in left field for someone like himself. He understood comfort as relative, an arm or a chest was better than a rock or dirt. But seeing someone drawn to you because or your presence - though he didn’t know his abnormal body heat made Chi-Chi snuggle closer out of baser instinct - was just not there for the saiyan.

The faint breaths against his skin, the way her head often shifted or her hands touched him in such ways that he just didn’t want to leave.

It was confusing, but he did not object. If something felt good and it caused no harm, why stop? So as it was, after their shower Goku found himself lying beside Chi-Chi in their side by side cots. Her head now laying beside his chest as she slept, one of his arms around the small of her back and the slow steady thrum of her heartbeat that lulled him to sleep. 

The afterlife was quickly becoming heaven for him.

  
  



	4. Advanced Training of Life and Love

It took awhile to understand the purpose of their training, the goal of striking a fast-moving object with a large cumbersome weapon required many aspects of a warrior’s focus. Even for veterans of many battles and just as harsh training regimens in years past.

The end objective was simple: balance. One could rush forward and attempt to strike down a foe in a decisive hammer blow which could work, but what do you do if your first attempt fails? How do you recover, what is your preparation for taking care of your opponents counter measure? In a controlled environment this was easy, but on the battlefield and apparently up against truly savage opponents and barbarians, what good would that do you to be unable to manage even the basics of control?

Goku and Chi-Chi began to slowly appreciate the lessons being taught by King Kai. Gregory was faster than Bubbles, more agile and because he was flying only amplified the difficulty. The gravity on the planet being ten times greater also meant the air was just as thick and heavy. Swinging a cumbersome uneven hammer like that was like attempting to punch someone under water and expecting the water to not slow you down.

  
The groundwork of getting used to the gravity and being able to move and functioning properly had been the baseline with Bubbles, now with Gregory they had to utilize every ounce of not only their focus but their bodies natural abilities. One’s mind and thoughts had to be clear in order to keep their eyes on target, their core had to be centered and squared as to not risk falling over into an ungraceful heap. Their arms and legs had to be working in tandem with one another, keeping their bodies heavy weight from over exerting itself and causing the former with their core. On top of that their hands and eyes had to be working together to keep pace with their target and utilize their senses. Which all fell back to their mind which had to keep all of this going, repeatedly for hours, days, weeks, and into months. The exhaustion of both a mental and physical also needed to be built up. Defeat during training was an inevitability, but how one picked themself up and carried themselves forward was just another lesson.

Being here for almost five months, seven used up in total, Goku and Chi-Chi were getting to the point where they relied on each other for support and encouragement. Frustration built out of failure, tempers often flaring and emotions coming to a rise with the two strong personalities. Goku was far more hard headed and eager to just keep slamming his head against the challenge until it broke, was his mindset, sheer tenacity was admirable, just not practical. Chi-Chi the more technical, the focused and studious of the two, trying to analyze and determine what would work best and often finding irritation when her counterpart ignored what she said and he got annoyed with her when she tried to direct him on what he knew to be the best plan.

Four times since the introduction of Gregory they had come to physical blows, both sides angry at the other for petty reasons. But they had no one else to blame aside from themselves. King Kai didn’t object to them fighting one another, in fact he often poked and prodded just a little to see them break down and fight it out. 

Sparring matches were one thing to the old Kai,  _ one can pull a punch, attempt not to injure an opponent, or hold back when one does not need too and with such passionate individuals they often need a certain amount of push to get that energy out. But I also can’t afford them to get rusty with their own abilities and fighting under these conditions are excellent… that and I would really like Chi-Chi to hit Goku harder for ruining MY CAR!  _ The Kai was still a bit bitter that Goku had crushed his prized red convertible take down black top with a hammer. The same went for Gregory, he’d told him a dozen times to stay away from the house and car but nope!  _ You’d swear these kids today would listen to a Kai, but apparently no. _

Watching from afar, King Kai also saw something else. Not that his own telepathic powers couldn’t already detect, but there was a deeper connection between the two here. Chi-Chi saw Goku as the ideal man, pure of heart, and loyal. Up until his decline of her proposal did she not see him as the man she would wish to spend her entire life with, an admirable thing considering he was by far the most ‘unconventional’ of men that a woman would want to marry. But there had been some long and deeply ingrained feelings of love, admiration, and lust for the saiyan.

What could be said for the other individual was not the exact same feelings replicated, however, they were just misunderstood. King Kai viewed Goku’s affections as more basic, primal almost. Falling back on what he could not make sense of with the parts of himself that he did not fully control. Being raised in isolation and by sure a pure hearted man had given this saiyan an upbringing that countered his innate desire for conflict, wars, and death. Even if he didn’t know it, Goku was a man of base instincts. However, he simply did not understand what he was feeling. He’d been raised alone and bereft of human teachings in the measure of romance and male to female relationships in that regard Goku was severely lacking.

It was in these moments he began to see the mortal saying of opposites attract come into effect, but they weren’t purely opposites, they were also kindred spirits in many other ways. Yet that was not the only reason for his training, for them to be successful against their upcoming opponents they would need to be able to work together, function as a team without words needing to be spoken. 

Sure training one of them to be incredibly powerful was an option, but nothing compared to a team wide effort. Beings working together in unison were far stronger to take down. The best comparison he could make to it was the pack animals of the world they came from, wolves, while strong individually they could not always hope to bring down prey much larger than themselves. For while a wolf might overpower a deer, a fox, and others of its kind. It is no match for a bull, a bear, or moose. They were creatures far larger and more dangerous, but when working together in groups or pairs they could pick apart even the strongest of adversaries. 

Now what good could benefit from them fighting one another? Interesting question, but a simple answer. They loved to kiss and make up, each fight brought them closer and closer together than them training together. Each time they fought they vented their frustrations and afterwards drew closer to one another.

_ Not quite close enough, but one can only become so close while dead of course.  _ The body doesn’t have the same natural urges when dead, but the heart and mind still exist and replicate those desires and feelings even if the body can’t directly interact with them.

It was why he kept himself outside while the two ‘made up’. These type of mortal emotions and interactions made him wish he was younger and less divine, but it wasn’t worth trading up quite yet.

Sipping his tea, which Bubbles brought him, he looked to his other planet companion. “Have the two finished their spat and made back up?” The monkey nodded its head and hooted in acknowledgement. “Ah good, they were quite close this morning, I can guess they’ll have this down pat by the afternoon and finally be ready to move onto their real training.” 

This secondary training had hardened their bodies significantly, teaching them art of the Kaio-ken was not for the weak. They could end up dying if the physical forms weren’t prepared to handle the immense powers he wished to gift them with.

Speaking of his students, they came out of the house, looking  _ refreshed,  _ Goku wearing a goofy smile and Chi-Chi a faint blush.  _ ‘What do you get when you cross a mako whale and a jet pack? A mako up session!’  _ King Kai began to snort at his own humor having kept his humor about his students personal dealings private. But he had plenty of other good ones involving a penguin, a tangerine, and a bowl of oatmeal. That was a real knee smacker.

“Gregory! Time for round two!” King Kai called out to his training assistant as Goku and Chi-Chi put their weights back on and grabbed their heavy hammers. 

“Oh come on King Kai, these two aren’t ever going to hit me. Why not just send them home now?” The brown insect whined vocally - as instructed - getting the immediate glare from both Goku and Chi-Chi.

  
“Now now, Gregory, they are both improving, I hope you have been giving it your all as well?” King Kai politely reprimanded him as he smiled at Gregory. 

“Of course I have,” He sounded offended, “But they have been trying for months without success.”

“Well maybe today will be different,” He chuckled as Gregory just sighed, “Come on, a little pep in your step and get to it, and remember,” King Kai paused to breathe in. “STAY AWAY FROM MY CAR!” His voice showed the bit of anger that all creatures were known for, even the bug sweated a bit and nodded.

“Okay let’s see it. You can begin when you are-” King Kai didn’t get to finish as Goku and Chi-Chi shot out from the gate. Clearly they were taking this seriously and after an invigorating make up session both parties had their spirit back in them.

Chi-Chi took to the offensive, taking massive swings with her hammer in a controlled but still ferocious manner. Looking every bit the part of trying to hit her target. But King Kai just smiled,  _ ‘Today will definitely be the day.’  _

“Whoa! Hey, you nearly-” Gregory shouted as his head was nearly skimmed as Chi-Chi’s heavy hammer just about grazed him. Flipping backwards. “I wasn’t-” Chi-Chi was already on top of him again. He banked towards the ground as Chi-Chi hit the grass with her next swing. But as the brown training dummy flew away his focus was lost as Goku came in from the other direction. 

“Ahh!” He screamed as he had to tuck his body to avoid the next swing and again on the drawback. Frantically and sweating making the twists and turns to avoid Goku now, swinging rapidly and into one direction. 

Pulling away, Gregory watched as Goku pulled back his hammer with both hands and hurled it forward. Spinning end over end, the act was shocking as he almost attempted to outrun it but in the haze of the moment he just moved off to the side letting it whiff past him. But as he looked back up another hammer was coming back the other way, “WAHHH!” he cried trying to slow down as this one sailed just to his right side. 

Stopping just long enough to see Goku grab the flung hammer and come in to swing, panicking, he went to take off only to see Chi-Chi catch the oncoming hammer and bring it in the opposite direction.

Unable to stop his momentum, he’d forgotten about one or two of his opponents for just long enough to let them close the distance. There was a resounding bash as both hammers impacted upon his body. Trembling for just a moment until Gregory’s aura faded and he dropped to the ground in pain. 

“Excellent,” King Kai said, clapping his hands in approval, coming over towards them he stopped just where Gregory was laying in no small amount of pain. “Hopefully that will teach you to not be so vocal when taunting those wielding hammers. It might just be a nailed experience!” Breaking out into another fit of juvenile laughter, King Kai snorted and laughed before picking up the beleaguered training assistant and sent him off to recover.

Turning his attention back to Goku and Chi-Chi, he brought his hands behind his back, “Excellent, I see that you two  _ worked  _ through your differences that you had this morning I see?” King Kai said smiling, his tone rising just a bit higher to imply he was very much aware of their activities.

Chi-Chi looked away a little embarrassed as Goku just chuckled, less abashed about things than Chi-Chi. “No need to be so off color about such things, this is exactly as I had been intending all along, though your personal feelings for one another were yours to decide. My entire goal this time was to get you two to work in tandem with one another,” Holding one of his hands he drew up a finger, “Focus,” Another finger, “Ferocity,” then a third, “And lastly finess. You had all three, and I surmise that you two will be a most lethal fighting force, probably the best I have trained in a millennia. But that is also in part not of your own natural abilities, but because you two understand and can cooperate unlike most.”

“What do you mean unlike most? Doesn’t everyone get this type of training?” Goku asked curiously what the Kai was talking about. He knew that he and Chi-Chi had greatly improved their teamwork, that was evident by how quickly they had managed to work through their differences, sometimes. 

“No of course not, I rarely get such opportunities to train multiple pupils at once. Having two is rare, and two so compatible with one another is even rarer. Hence why my training was designed to test whether or not you two would be able to work together. ince your first day you’ve done nothing but meet and most times exceed my expectations. As such… I will teach you both how to channel my abilities in unison.”

“What will that do?” Chi-Chi asked, this type of training was not something she was familiar with. The training made sense, though it was both practical and impractical at the same time. 

“Simple, you two will be able to balance your energies through one another, in essence,” He brought both of his hands together. The separate and loose fingers were able to slide between one another before locking tight. “You two will strengthen one another. You two, while strong individually, will become even stronger when together. Goku, Chi-Chi,” His eyes looking between the two of them. “Your bodies will channel both of your kis in harmony allowing for even greater strength. You could more than double your own current powers. Chi-Chi, imagine you being able to channel all of Goku’s brute strength through your body without having the physical build required, but at the same time Goku will gain all of your flexibility and agility that his body can not provide. A fusion of body and mind but remaining separate entities.”

“That sounds incredible, how strong can we be?” Goku asked eagerly, the idea of having so much power would make for some really incredible fights. 

“As long as you two continue to improve you will both gain power through leaps and bounds, and when I teach you further techniques that number is just exponential.” King Kai smiled, “I expect you two to both be able to handle the saiyans with the odds heavily stacked in your favor should you succeed.”

It all sounded incredible, but Chi-Chi had to ask. “Is there any downsides to this?” For such a huge boon there couldn’t be all positives surely.

“Of course,” The Kai unlocked his fingers and took one away. “Should one of you fall in battle the other will be weakened. The tether of your life forces will be linked together and if anything were to happen to one or the other while this is underway it will be like losing a part of yourself. It will feel like your soul is being ripped in half and I can't promise that you will even survive such snapping of such a teather. The positives far outweigh any negatives. So… now that you both are ready. Let us begin.”

[***]

Linking one’s soul or essence to another was quite an experience. One would figure that their compatibility would be hampered because they were different species, but King Kai explained that the soul and being of a person was more than just the flesh and bone.

“Lay your palms flat upon the other, once you have steadied your energies press your foreheads together and keep your energies in balance.” Watching over his two pupils, the Kai watching as the low thrum of blue ki that surrounded Goku was slowly absorbing the white aura that Chi-Chi was exuding. “Goku relax, your eagerness is overwhelming Chi-Chi’s aura, and Chi-Chi you must assert your position - you can not be second to Goku’s greater strength you must be his equal. Rise up to meet his power.” Touching both of their shoulders he felt the energy slipping all around them, Goku’s blue aura lessened and Chi-Chi’s flaired back. The glow of their palms was the only distinct change. Though their foreheads were touching one could see them struggling to maintain that crucial balance.

“Chi-Chi reach out through your ki, connect the pathways into Goku.” She tried to ‘see’ through her ki the direct contact allowed Goku’s energy to be seen by her, like a thick ball of yarn that swirled and weaved itself in a never ending twists and turns. There was so much and she needed to travel all of this that was-  _ ‘I am here to guide you, the network is but one of many, now hold your breath and let me help you this first time. Then you and Goku shall link yourselves without my help everyday further until this connection will be nothing but instinct.’  _

Drawing her through the webs of Goku’s very core was distressing. She felt a surge of raw power, so much strength-  _ ‘Calm down.’  _ King Kai’s voice bringing her back,  _ ‘Do not be overwhelmed, you can control this. You have worked just as hard as Goku. this power can be yours. Let it touch within you.’  _

She was thankful that the Kai was there to guide her through this. The tremendous flow of energy was so massive at first but as she connected herself to those energies Chi-Chi felt it no different than her own except it wasn’t human ki it was saiyan, while her own essence was smoother like a running river that had twists, turns, bumps, and rises like most creatures. Saiyan energy was like a grand rapid, sloshing, churning, raging, and moving at a tremendous flow. But it was still energy, something that could be ridden out and controlled.

_ ‘Good.’  _ Chi-Chi’s face scrunched up as she imagined the two paths meeting, one river and one rapid. Both spilled into a single body of water and-

_ ‘Where there were two strands, you now have one.’  _ Chi-Chi could feel it, oh boy could she feel it. Her breathing began to increase as she felt so incredibly powerful.  _ ‘Now let Goku connect to you, he is bound to you but does not have control.’  _

Turning his attention Goku’s body was shaking, Chi-Chi was drawing out his strength almost like it was being leeched, he felt weakness and his body naturally rejected this intruder but he was being held together by King Kai.  _ ‘There is no weakness there, Goku,’  _ The resonating voice did not assure him over much. It was making him feel panicked. The hand was there, Goku’s mind was pulled along to the webway of Chi-Chi’s essence. 

Like her, Goku was forced to follow the path, relaxing as her natural energies began to bring balance. That usual calm and collected nature helped bring purpose back to him. Where eagerness, yearning, and desire was at his core. Then came a rush of natural calm protectiveness. Chi-Chi did not crave battle, but would do anything to defend what she cared for. 

It was not weakness but merely strength in its many different forms. The soldier who rushed headlong in battle was no different than the mother breaking down a door to protect her children. Both were doing what they had to do, energy was all the same merely transformed from one shape to another to fit the circumstances.

“There.” King Kai spoke, his own brow sweating, drawing back from them. “Open your eyes and take the first steps as one whole functioning as two.”    
  


Chi-Chi and Goku stared at one another, their bodies now linked. “Whoa.” Goku’s words put the enormousness of the situation into such a mild term. Her hand touched his face, but without his doing he repeated the action to her. Feeling both hands and the skin. “Goku… this feels.” Chi-Chi’s heart was beating faster as her senses were doubled.

_ ‘Good.’  _ Goku spoke to her, but he did not say the words allowed. Blinking Chi-Chi felt foreign thoughts just at the corner of her mind,  _ ‘Are you in my mind?’  _ Her words spilling out openly and Goku recoiled slightly at the foreign invasion. 

“Ah yes, Telepathy another bonus, you two while linked have mental connections with one another. Now before you two get lost in your new sensations how about we give your new linked bodies a test drive shall we?”

Drawing them away from each other, both felt the vertigo of standing up, the breeze upon their skin and yet it was not their own. Chi-Chi looked down at her right hand while Goku his left, both clenched their fingers into a fist at the same time. “Now, try and catch Bubbles.” King Kai said patting his little monkey friend on the back to encourage him to run. 

Sliding down Goku took off first, his form fluid as he felt a rush taking off after the monkey. Gaining on him in record time, Bubbles had barely made it halfway before his hands grabbed the monkey. But they weren’t his own. Chi-Chi had come the other way, so much faster than before and had caught their target. “Excellent, five seconds.” King Kai said as Goku put the monkey down… or was it Chi-Chi. 

“This power… I feel like I’m Goku.” Chi-Chi looked down at her hands as she felt the blue waves of ki licking at her fingertips.

“Yeah I feel like I’m you too.” The saiyan replied as a white aura sparked around his body. “I thought I had caught him.”

“It felt like I was chasing him.” She admitted, both looked too King Kai. “Is this what is supposed to happen?”

“Yes and no,” King Kai said. “Normally one can feel the others senses and strengths. But you two are very unique matches for each other.”

Goku was confused, “Isn’t this for everyone?”

The Kai chuckled, “No, you two are the first pair that has been able to do this that were not of the same blood. I have paired brothers, twins, and like minded individuals. You two however, have that same balance but are also male and female. Saiyan and Earthling, you do not share such similarities but I suspect that because you two have such intense feelings for one another it has allowed that barrier to be broken.” Smiling as he wiped the sweat from his forehead and glasses. “By my guess you two are a perfect match for one another.”

“What? Are you saying that we’re soul mates?”

Snorting with laughter, “If that’s what you would call it. I think you two compliment one another perfectly. But before we go too far with what is to come next, I shall unlock your bodies from one another, then we can sit down and talk.”

Talking… as if sharing a single mind and body was going to ever be able to mean anything like talking to each other.

After breaking down the mental link Goku and Chi-Chi felt drastically weakened and exhausted, a side effect of the lost energy link but there was another hidden feeling that neither were prepared for and also King Kai. “Hmm, it seems that you two need to remain close to one another in order to bring your bodies back into balance.”

Both were feeling it, like they were missing a part of themselves, “Chi-Chi, I would suggest sitting in Goku’s lap for now. Let your energies remain close but not linked for a time, I imagine this will lessen the more we do this and for now you two should focus on recovery.” 

Doing as she was told, she felt a change. Goku’s body was closer and where they had been just feet apart the way they were now touching redirected their flows of energy around and intertwining even slightly. She sighed leaning back into her now defacto soul mate, not that she didn’t already tell herself that back when she was smaller.  _ But now it’s confirmed.  _

Goku brought his arms around her, normally he wouldn’t do it unless they were sleeping, but as he brought his hands overtop her a warmth filled his chest. “WIll it always be like this?” Goku didn’t mind the strength boost but if he felt so  _ off  _ after delinking from Chi-Chi then it might be crippling if they were in a fight. 

“I’m not sure, but I suspect it will lessen overtime. But remaining closer to each other will keep the downsides to a minimum, not that I believe you are quite opposed to that?” He raised his glasses slightly and gave him a smirk. Goku and Chi-Chi both blushed, their affections had been public, simply because they were on a small world with very little in the way of privacy. “But Goku if you two were too, how shall I put it.” He brought a hand to his chin as he tried to recall the correct word for this. Snapping his finger as the lightbulb struck, “Ah yes, intimate. Your bodies would be able to heal even faster.”

“Intimate? You mean-” Goku didn’t quite follow.

“Sex?” Chi-Chi answered her face becoming redder at the mere insinuation. 

“Well of course, when two creatures partake in passion they have quite a spiritual and emotional connection. As I said, I mostly do this with kindred spirits raised and brought up in identical conditions or twins sharing the same blood and memories of what builds you into the being you become lessens the effects. I also have never done this with opposite species, but I guessed that with how both of you were of similar body and mind there was little risk.”

“Risk?” She didn’t like hearing that. “What risk?”

“Well… your bodies had a small chance of exploding.”

“WHAT?!” Gou and Chi-Chi shouted.

“It was a very small chance and if I had said anything you two wouldn’t have been nearly as calm and collected making everything easier, and besides it worked so you have nothing to worry about now.” But a glaring Chi-Chi and less than pleased Goku were not quite so happy to let that little bit of information slide… “You know what sounds good, you two both relax and take the day off, I’ll just be elsewhere and tell you when dinner is ready.” He quickly fled before his two students possibly throttled him,  _ it was just a one percent chance and they’re already dead with the prospect of planetary destruction. I think they are being quite immature about it. _

Goku laid in his cot with Chi-Chi, the after effects of their mind linking remained strong. If Chi-Chi and he weren’t making contact he felt a piece of him missing, that piece also made him feel weaker. With his arms holding Chi-Chi those feelings left him replaced with warmth. He disliked the negatives but enjoyed this other feeling far more. Her head rested under his chin. Goku felt like closing his eyes but those feelings weren’t his. They were the woman’s whose eyes were currently resting.

Drained of such power left her feeling weakend, Chi-Chi felt twice as strong as before - it was like a drug. She’d moved blindingly fast and where she had been quick before, by comparison she didn’t even feel the gravity or the extra weights with Goku’s surging power. 

Right now she just wanted to sleep, in Goku’s arms. 

“Chi-Chi?” Running a hand up and down her back, wanting her to feel safe though he did not understand why. They were on King Kai’s planet what would they have to worry about, “How do you feel?”

She sighed, not opening her eyes, her hands were holding his back, it allowed them to fit on the cot without it being terrible. “Like I'm not whole.” Chi-Chi could admit that part, Goku was probably feeling something like that. “I just want to be close to you, hear your heartbeat, and feel your arms around me.”

Previous feelings were nothing compared to this, while she had her affections for this man, this loss was like how she felt when she’d lost her mother. But unlike that, the closer she was to Goku that feeling was like a dull tingle than a harsh burn she’d felt when apart.

Her brain took her back to what King Kai had said, not on the whole body explosion thing but, with how they could reduce this pain by  _ intimacy.  _ While she wasn’t quite thinking about the whole hanky panky side of that, though it crossed her mind, there were things that would have to be crossed off the list first. Proposing, rings, then a wedding, and then she’d consider intimacy. Right now this was enough to stave off the feelings like they were a mild cold.

They remained quiet for another twenty minutes, Chi-Chi nodding in and out of sleep, but Goku was wide awake. King Kai’s words about who Chi-Chi could be to him was a tad shocking. Chi-Chi was his soul mate, something on Earth that meant that he and Chi-Chi were destined to be together. That she was the ‘one’ he didn’t quite get the whole idea of it, but most people spent their lives looking for someone like that. 

The stirring he had felt inside of himself when his Grandpa had passed away, but were these really his feelings or just remnants of Chi-Chi’s mind that had been linked within him. He could still feel something there inside of him, or maybe that was just his mind playing tricks on him to make him believe that. But as Chi-Chi slipped off into quiet sleep Goku remained awake for another hour. Somehow he doubted that after this experience that he and Chi-Chi could have some future together and he didn’t know how he would handle that as if he lost Chi-Chi. After this, ewhat kind of effect would that have on him?

[***]

Over the next month King Kai helped further develop Goku and Chi-Chi’s abilities. Their essence fusion had drastically increased their potential as both partners could function independently of the other but still remain in complete sync with the other’s goals. It could be seen as instinct but they had the premonition of knowing the other’s basic thoughts without having uttered a single word and yet that was not the end either.

King Kai helped Goku and Chi-Chi channel the raw power of the Kaio-Ken. A devastating ability, that was damaging to the user but the tradeoff was doubling or even tripling one's skills for as long as one could maintain the strain of such raw power.

Combine the fact that both could leech off one another, Chi-Chi could pass along her own tension and pain onto Goku to allow herself to jump to another level of the Kaio-Ken. Goku could manage a triple as they progressed, but Chi-Chi could not, the hardiness of a male saiyan body allowed Goku to take the burning and tearing of muscles and joints far better than a human could. However, when linked Chi-Chi could pass along that pain to Goku negating some of the effects, so long as Goku wasn’t over exerted both partners could be fighting with triple the intensity.

Of course that was not all, if both were not capable of handling a challenge, Chi-Chi if uninjured and safe could take the same damage brought on by a times six, Chi-Chi could take her own power and transfer that strain, though it worked vice versa it only lasted as long as one could hope to maintain their own strength. 

But with such massive power there would scarcely be a foe able to rise and meet such a challenge… or at least that’s what Goku and Chi-Chi thought. Their power was staggering, and the rate at which they were gaining it outclassed anything previously. Fighting Raditz was barely a blip on their radars now, comparative to where they were. Yet they did not grow overconfident, King Kai had warned them that the saiyans were nothing like Raditz that they stood a good chance of beating them, but the saiyans themselves were not going to be out shunned by them. 

Explaining that they had stopped off on a world that had warriors comparable to Raditz in terms of strength and power, butchered hundreds if not thousands of beings and then before departing blew up the entire planet and for what great purpose? They needed a warm up.

Goku and Chi-Chi were shocked but knew that King Kai was only telling them this to not let them grow overconfident and complacent with an assured victory. Goku’s now dead brother had learned that lesson and considering the two of them had taught Raditz that lesson personally, they did not feel the desire to have it thrown back in their faces.

Yet that wasn’t the only good news, Kami had checked in with King Kai and informed them that the rest of the Z ighters were all training upon the lookout, good news to be sure that their friends were increasing their power and that still Piccolo would remain on their side for another battle. Understanding that his petty desires were still trumped by even more powerful foes.

So Krillin, Yamcha, Piccolo, Tien, and Chaotzu were all currently beating the hell out of each other every single day and had been for months. Goku and Chi-Chi had a brief talk with their friends to let them know they were getting ready as well, and conferring with one another to make sure they were revived before the saiyans arrived as the timer was ticking down to less than three months.

Returning to their training, Goku and Chi-Chi’s fingers interlaced with one another, the physical contact necessary to allow the rush of both of their pathways to connect. Where it had taken minutes of practice and guidance to link their essence with one another. They both needed but an undisturbed minute, traveling the path of their minds. 

The unique signature that was the herald of their power and purpose opening up to each other. Pausing for a moment, Goku felt Chi-Chi’s mind touch with his, the link had been made and her power surged through his body, where his power now flowed through her as well.

“Excellent, you two have really gotten a hold on each other.” Goku and Chi-Chi were soaring above even his original expectations. Soon they would be stronger than him on their own, but what came now was even more important. 

Chi-Chi smiled as she welcomed Goku’s mind. The intrusion was one of excitement and exuberance. It felt as if he were still a child, but that was merely who he was at heart. Chi-Chi hadn’t expected - though she had some suspicion - that the connection only further enhanced their feelings for one another. They were sharing a bond like never before and Chi-Chi had never felt closer to him and Goku didn’t seem to mind this feeling either.

Contact without contact…

“Now come here. I wish to show you a technique I would like to call a Spirit Bomb, where you will both be able to harness the energies of the planet for a devastating attack.” King Kai had to admit he was quite proud of himself, “Since you can maintain a direct link with another being this one will be simpler as you must join your thoughts with that of the planet.”

Holding up his palm, King Kai closed his eyes, though one might be able to tell as the Kai kept his glasses covering them. “Do not force the planet to give you this power, you must ask it, plead with it, and let the world know you are here to protect it. A world is like any other being, living, breathing, and thinking. Ask the grass for them to wilt only enough to pass on their energy, ask the trees to pull back its branches and give you that same taste of sunlight. Look to the rocks that remain quiet and slumbering, have them release their power that lay dormant within. The water that provides life for all creatures can offer that same power.” His hand began to glow lightly, a small faint glow formed around his palm. “Look to the animals, they all have energy to give, a small portion to return to the world that they live upon and then…” He paused as his hand drew his fingers upwards slowly curling into a fist. “Then once you have it gathered, draw it forth. But this is not a weapon, it is from nature let the energy rise up and-!” 

With a final snap the mass of energy came together in a brilliant flash a bright blue glowing orb appeared. “This.” He said turning towards Goku and Chi-Chi, “is a Spirit Bomb. Now what you see is but a taste of the power one might be able to draw out from the world of this scale, but a planet like Earth that is vastly bigger with more life upon it will give even more energy.” He then snapped his finger as the orb broke apart like glass, the wisps of energy slipping back down towards the ground and heading back to where they had come from.

“So, much like how you joined with each other you will have to do the same with the planet. Now, sit down and let’s see how you both do.” WIth a cheeky chuckle already knowing how things would go, but it was going to be an interesting period.

This had become their daily ritual from that point further, of course they still trained and sparred, but their bodies needed time to rest. King Kai didn’t want their goal here to become impractical. Power was one thing, but balance was more important, gifting away his knowledge was the true goal. Passing on lessons learned, along with fresh ideals so that other worlds might benefit from such champions. If nothing else a few good jokes were just as important.

But something else had blossomed and King Kai wasn’t wholly to be credited for it. Afterall he was a guardian of a section of the galaxy not a god of love. However, tonight he was ready to sit back and let his students have their day.

What? Did you think that he, a being that lived longer than any race could imagine, would not want to see life flourish and blossom. Since he had given up such notions after eons and celibacy, there was nothing better for him than to see those mortal feelings bloom. 

Love was a powerful weapon, even more powerful than fear and terror. Some races and warriors could see the attachments as a weakness, something that could be exploited and often yes it was. But those who were strong and abused their strength did so because they were incapable or even jealous of those that had what they did not.

Whether or not, all beings that lived would die, the natural cycle of life continued and every creature would meet its fate at King Yemma’s command. The wicked would be punished, the cruel would be crippled, the malicious would be burned, and the servants of death would find no peace in death. The innocent would find comfort in death, the noble and pure would relish in the afterlife, and the selfless would be blessed with all of that which they had sacrificed for others. 

So why not help benefit both parties currently on his world. Both were ready, and had professed such feelings for each other. So why not just let them have their day to forget about the world and live only for themselves? A Kai could see no flaw with that. So he departed his world for a while leaving Goku and Chi-Chi alone.

They felt like children again. Well Chi-Chi did anyway, Goku seemed almost confused at the sudden departure of their teacher. Yet determined as always Chi-Chi took the lead, “Goku can you come sit here with me?” Her soft words and tone a far cry from the tenacious battle cries and shouts they used while sparring, and nothing like the strain she had while attempting to master control over a Spirit Bomb.

Goku wearing only his training pants, having showered while Chi-Chi made them lunch had come to find King Kai gone, an hourglass left upon a table to signify his return. Turning his head to Chi-Chi he smiled and nodded, “Sure.” Coming to lay down upon a blanket spread across the grass Goku laid down beside Chi-Chi who remained resting on her bottom, still upright but relaxed. 

_ ‘We're alone.’  _ This wasn’t like before where they were both stressing their bodies out and the journey across Snake Way. No, this was like a moment of peace, perhaps akin to the eye of the storm, they had battled their way through half of it to find that moment of respite, they had some time left to go before the saiyans arrived. But this was their chance to just not worry about them. Half a day wouldn’t change the outcome of their fight, King Kai wasted several days telling them knock knock jokes until he got them to laugh, so this would hardly count as a wasted moment.

“Goku could we talk about what you want to do after this?”

“Hn?” Turning his head to look up at her from the blanket, “Well saiyans come first, didn’t we say that?” 

She bit her lip and nodded, those were her words. “Yes, but, Goku I don’t plan on losing. So tell me, what do you want, no that isn’t right… What do you need from me?” They were closer than ever, sharing minds and bodies in a near literal sense, but that didn’t just mean everything was just set. Chi-Chi didn’t expect to just clap her hands after the battle and have Goku and her starting wedding bells. Sure she’d love that, but what did they  _ really  _ need from each other. Not just what they wanted.

Cocking his head Goku rolled onto his hip. Staring at her Goku tried to imagine if he had ever needed anything from anyone. With the exception of needing his Grandpa for a period after his death and maybe his prized dragon ball, the earth raised saiyan couldn’t recall a moment where he’d really needed anything. He’d wanted to tag along with Bulma, he wanted to train under Master Roshi, he wanted to compete at the tournaments, and wanted to go on adventures and live free. Now Chi-Chi was asking if he needed something from her.

Strangely enough, he did need something but he wasn’t sure if she was going to like it.

“Since we’ve been together… no that isn’t true, after the tournament when we would meet up and do our matches I feel something, it’s deep inside of me and I-I I just feel like i have to do it but I know I shouldn’t. Maybe it’s the part of me I don’t understand, you know the saiyan part of me.” That twisting feeling in his gut was always there, how many times he’d been so close at night to just doing it. But kept that desire locked up. “It’s crazy but ever since we’ve linked ourselves together I feel this need to make you… mine.”

_ Wow…  _ that was a bit forward, and she liked it. “Well, why don’t you?” She playfully rolled her finger through her hair. Expressing himself like a man, she couldn’t deny she enjoyed seeing some pulse of a man inside of him. She had loved the boy that had captured her heart, but, there was something about a man who lusted after you and carried everything you loved about them.

Goku took in a deep breath, Chi-Chi was perhaps teasing him a bit and yet she had just asked him to do what he’d been restraining himself to do, and from their many shared sessions together he couldn’t help but want to take that next step. So he did, slowly, he rolled onto his side and almost like a jungle cat slowly crept up on Chi-Chi, his heart beating against his chest as he would have the chance to finally sink his teeth into her. 

Chi-Chi not knowing this, let him climb overtop of her, Goku dominating her body was a welcome change for her. Planting his hands under her elbows, Chi-Chi let Goku slowly draw himself down. Mistaking his target, Chi-Chi grasped his face and pulled him into a gentle kiss. They had locked lips before but not for very long. 

He thought the same until she wrapped her legs around his waist and drew him down deeper. Releasing slight grunts and moans as their mouths moved and shifted against one another.  _ ‘Open…’  _ Goku’s eyes widened as a presence within him compelled him to open his mouth. They weren’t linked but still he had felt her presence. Or was his mind playing- A warm tongue wriggled itself past his parted lips. This felt much better, Goku let his own tongue slide up and meet hers, doing what ‘felt’ natural. So lost in the moment he could not feel the pull at the edge of his mind.

The couple had become linked without even trying.  _ ‘More’  _ Chi-Chi thought, or was it her? Her tongue licked across his teeth in reply, his own tongue pushed back and invaded her own mouth, following the dip along her teeth until it came up to meet with her. 

Fingers weaved through his hair, smooth nails scraped along his scalp making his hips rock against hers. Drawing back as Chi-Chi sucked Goku’s bottom lip into her mouth letting her front canines to hold onto the slightly taught bit of flesh before letting it snap free. The glint in her eyes made Goku’s blood boil. 

He dove back down, the force almost crushing,  _ Kiss me, oh please.  _ Her desires were quickly becoming his own and as he grunted she groaned. When he groaned she hissed, both fueling each other’s desire and at the same time feeling the sensations. 

It wasn’t Goku pinning Chi-Chi, it was her pinning him down, Chi-Chi wasn’t running her fingers through Goku’s hair, it was Goku doing that to her. Both quickly began to lose track of what was them and the other, lost in a haze of desire and lust with nothing and no one to stop them. Goku and Chi-Chi made out for ten full minutes until they were both grinding their bodies against the other. Goku felt his penis swelling and becoming uncomfortable in his own clothes but as he pushed against Chi-Chi’s stomach and hips that pain became a stroke of pleasure only to fade away even faster. So he did it again, and again, his body in a frenzy to build this sensation that was making his balls clench tightly.

Chi-Chi could only frantically grind her hips against Goku, her poor clit shoved between several layers of clothing and underwear. Finding that sweet spot was only making her more hectic. A mortal pleasure long denied was coming loose. But both were escalating and Goku could feel his legs becoming wet while Chi-Chi could feel something ready to burst out.

“Chi-Chi,” “Goku,” They both said their mouths breaking apart to only pant as they humped each other furiously. Then-! Her stomach tightened up and her back attempted to arch itself into Goku who pinned her body down making her wiggle in vain. His hips shoved down as his neck strained as bliss shot forth from him, Chi-Chi could only wail as her body spasmed, attempting to flail rapidly as the overloaded pleasure had nowhere to go as there was no meaty pole to grip and flood her body.

_ ‘Bite, make them yours.’  _

Mouth opened teeth exposed, the small mouth latched onto his shoulder biting down furiously. Goku felt his skin being punctured and he could only heave out one large gulp before dropping down and mirroring that same mark upon Chi-Chi’s once smooth skin. 

They shared in both pain and pleasure, it was close to drunken ecstasy but neither was complaining. Chi-Chi tasted Goku’s blood upon her lips as Goku relished in her own. The urge to keep biting her all over sedated, he was more than content to keep her mark and his. 

But their respite would only last so long, the saiyans were coming soon, and their new abilities and powers were going to be put through a test that neither could ever prepare for. 

  
A new life or death battle for Earth and they were going to have to bear that responsibility upon their shoulders like before. 

But after that, they could only imagine what the future would hold for them. As both laid their heads down beside the other, finding happiness and contentment upon King Kai’s world if only for the briefest of moments.


	5. Surviving FIrst

“Are you two ready?” King Kai said, having redressed both of his pupils in new fighting garb,.Chi-Chi and Goku both dressed up in much like how they arrived but their backs bearing the symbol of King Kai. He was immensely proud of both, they had worked incredibly hard, mentally, physically, and emotionally. It was rare for him to send off a couple but he could add this to a long bucket list of things he should do.

Goku and Chi-Chi were ideally suited for each other, he sort of felt like a proud parent, but he restrained himself from taking it  _ that  _ far. They still had to win, it was going to be quite the battle of things to come, but he had faith in them. It was no longer in his hands.

“Yes,” Chi-Chi said, her hand holding Goku's, the saiyan interlocking his fingers with her as he just smiled, looking more at the engraved mark on her neck while still able to feel where Chi-Chi had left a similar token upon his skin. “We’re ready to be revived.”

“Excellent, I’ll go ahead and let Kami know and I’ll be rooting for the both of you.” King Kai chuckled, turning his attenna towards the location of Earth and looked for-  _ ‘Hello there, Earth to Kami, this is King Kai give me a solid copy over.’  _ Snickering slightly at his verbiage.

_ ‘Yes I hear you King Kai. You can let them know Mr. Popo is reviving them as we speak.’  _ Kami replied.

_ ‘That’s a big two four, I’ll let my cargo know they are free and clear.’  _

_ ‘... Indeed.’  _ Was all Kami said after a short pause, he often wondered how the Kais worked and he wasn’t sure he was going to be any closer to finding some kind of answer.

“Alright now just sit tight. They said it should-'' A crack came overhead as both Goku and Chi-Chi felt the effects of the dragon balls. Their halos disappearing and familiar living feelings were now coursing back through their veins. But as they remained there stoic for a few seconds they both blinked.

“Hey, Chi-Chi, we’re still here.” Goku announced, she nodded. “Yeah I can see that. Are we really alive?” Was this perhaps not all, why weren’t they back on Earth. The saiyans were due to arrive today.

“King Kai?” Goku’s words questioning what they were now all thinking. 

“Uh oh,” The Kai was quickly coming to a realization. “What’s the uh oh?” King Kai brought a hand to his head. “You are both alive, but the wish didn’t bring you back to Earth.”

“Wait. What?” Chi-Chi said, confusion rapidly setting in. How could they be alive and not be back on Earth? 

King Kai’s normal humorous and lax nature shifted immediately as he looked at Goku and Chi-Chi. “You two must leave immediately for the check in station. If you do not you might not make it for when the saiyans arrive. Now hurry! I’ll tell Kami to be ready to meet you there. There is no time, GO!” He barked commandingly and both Goku and Chi-Chi lept from the planet towards the snake path. As soon as they cleared the gravity well Goku and Chi-Chi felt their weight shift. The heavy tonnage dropped to next to nothing. Their bodies became like feathers and Goku jumped nearly five hundred feet. 

“Wow! I feel incredible.” Smacking his legs which were pumping again, a rush of adrenaline and the thrill of so much power was making him excited. That and the promise of a battle that was not too far away.

Remarking herself, Chi-Chi could feel her arms bulging unlike before where she had been sleek and agile, she had packed on layers of hardened steel into her arms. Her neck having lost inches into a bit of the mass of her body. It was an incredible feeling, but there was still a glaring issue. “We can’t fret over it now, Goku, we have to get moving.”

“You’re right. Ready to link up and head off?” Goku offered her his palm to which they both took. Goku and Chi-Chi spent all but half a minute reconnecting their essences to meld with each other. The pathways opened up and the rush of new power came flowing in. But Chi-Chi wasn’t quite done, leaning up she kissed him on the lips for a second, giving him a smile which he returned and squeezed their hands together before blasting right off. Their sheer speed created ripples through the yellow clouds as they flew at a pace which was not overly draining but required focus. They had only so much time to arrive back on Earth and hope that the saiyans did not win before then…

Meanwhile, the human and alien defenders of Earth were gathered together unwilling to rush headlong into a fight without the support of Goku and Chi-Chi. Having learned through Kami, who had kept his other half informed of the situation. They were currently facing down the barrel of a heavily loaded gun as they could feel the immense powers of the saiyans.

One saiyan displaying his incredible strength by leveling an entire city, leveled to the ground, there was not a single building, soul, rock, or piece of grass to remain. So as it was left to them to gather their own courage and face down a foe whose power seemed almost unreal.

“Keep your heads, do not show fear.” Piccolo snarled at the regular humans who were already seeming like they were about to piss themselves. But it didn’t seem to be having any real effect as he could hear their heartbeat increase and their murmurings.  _ ‘We can’t do this…’ ‘Where is Goku?’ ‘I can’t be revived again.’ _

Growing irritated further, and allowing his own stress to get the better of him, he snapped his head back towards them. Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Chaotzu all were not taking this well. “Look, we don't have time or the luxury of being afraid. Get it together!”

“Well what do we do? Do we try and buy more time or do we stand and fight?” Yamcha asked, unsure as to what might be the correct direction. Sure people could lose their lives but if they failed now what would stop them from dying anyway. There was no timetable for Goku and Chi-Chi returning.

“Perhaps hit and run?” Krillin offered, they could just try and draw them out and keep retreating.

“If you think you can out run that… I won’t stop you from becoming a fool of a martyr.” Piccolo said in a snide grunt, his eyes already looking up at the two oncoming opponents. They were heading this way, no doubt using the exact same tech that Radtiz had to find their position. “Running isn’t an option so find your human balls and just look the part.”

In the air floated the two saiyans. One that was as massive as a mountain of pure bulk and bald aggression. The other way smaller, a hair of ebony flame that shared the all too familiar characteristics of Goku and Raditz. If the overwhelming aura wasn’t clear enough, the brown tails wrapped around their waists were the final piece of the puzzle.

“Looks like they gathered up for us, Vegeta.” The burly saiyan Nappa remakred unimpressed by the ragtag bunch. 

“Well they were expecting us, no doubt the fools have been preparing. Sadly All of that hard work will be for nothing as they are still not but trash to royalty such as I.” Vegeta’s indifferent stance, keeping his arms crossed and descending from the air down to the ground.  _ ‘I had hoped for more, but with the humans here and obviously ready for us perhaps a little bit of arm breaking might get what we want.  _ He’d already committed a grave sin by travelling here to Earth. He was actively disobeying Frieza, and while he wasn’t going to be executed for it, there was going to be harsh repercussions for it. 

_ Immortality shall be mine, I shall have it!  _ “Nappa,” Vegeta gestured with his chin towards the band of pathetic rabble. 

Not needing to be told twice he turned his visage towards the humans stroking the thin lines of his mustache with his large palmed fist. “So, it looks like we finally meet.”

“Can’t say we’re grateful for the meeting.” Tien said with his three eyes finding it a strain to look at the powerful beings standing before him now.  _ Improved or not, we still don’t stand a chance.  _ Looking to his loyal companion, Tien’s worry for his future was growing more.  _ I shouldn’t have brought him here.’ _

“Well at least you have good taste in hair, can’t say I enjoy the third eye triclopse but oh well. So let’s just cut to the chase. You have dragon balls, we want to make a wish. Simple so far?” Pausing for a moment to let the reason sink in. “So give us what we want and that’s it. We don't’ have to blow up your planet but we will if you piss me or Vegeta off.”

  
“NAPPA!” Vegeta barked and bared his fangs.

  
“Sorry,” Nappa almost flinched. “Prince Vegeta, so what do you say, be good little weaklings, give your betters some shinies and we’ll be gone. No one has to die.”

“You blew up a city already!” Krillin shouted, “You murdered hundreds of thousands of people and you just want us to roll over and give you the dragon balls?” It was horrifying to see such cold indifference. He wasn’t up for sainthood but this was a far cry from anything he expected.

Nappa paused before snorting, amused. “Yeah I guess I did, but oh well. A few thousand lives isn’t anything to us. We’ve purged hundreds of worlds, a city or two is barely a percent of a percent for our kill count.”

“Disgusting, you guys are savages.” Yamcha said, his words showing the visible effect upon his face. They were both monsters, and not the Piccolo kind either.

“Oh, you flatter me. But don’t worry there, stitchface, we only offer the peaceful option because we really don’t want to waste our time crushing you, I mean do you even think you have a chance?” Nappa began to bellow, laughing as they seemed so eager to throw their lives away. “You are a backwater world, but still you have to realize you don’t have a fucking chance. So just give up the dragon balls.”

Piccolo reached up to take off his turban and shoulder guards. “The answer is no, this world is mine and you two are not permitted to use my treasures for your goals,” Raising up his fists. “Besides you wouldn’t be able to find them even if you wanted.”

“Oh, I thought that voice was familiar, and a Namekian.” Nappa said the lightbulb was ticking in his head. 

“I believe you are right Nappa, perhaps the legends are true then.” Vegeta remarked, the features were definitely Namekian meaning that there was more than likely a coincidence.

Snorting, “I don’t know what you’re talking about but you’ll find that we are prepared to handle you, and in fact we’ve got two even more powerful fighters coming to destroy you.” A partial bluff, but he had used the hand he was dealt. They obviously didn’t feel the least bit threatened by their gathered strength, not that Piccolo seemed to deny the power he was feeling, but even then the larger saiyan seemed to be almost subservient to the smaller one. Which meant that one saiyan was already much stronger than the other.  _ None of this is looking good for us. _

“Two more powerful fighters? Hah.” Nappa found it humorous. “Who? There isn’t another power on this planet that poses the slightest - if not insignificant - challenge here. What may I ask is there for you to try a full faced lie like that?”

“Goku and Chi-Chi are both coming here as we speak, they’ll be here and it won’t be such a big joke once you stand up to them.” Krillin said, the knowledge that help was still coming kept his pride and courage intact.

This made Vegeta snicker, “Kakarot and his woman? Really the two who died fighting Raditz? You should realize that Raditz was naught but a third class saiyan. Nappa is an elite and I am a super elite.”  _ Kakarot was just another dog to fill the ranks, and another weak human woman who was overpowered by Raditz. I guess humans never developed proper cognizant brain power, but what am I too expect on a planet called fucking dirt? _

“You shouldn’t underestimate them, Raditz did and look at what happened to him.” Yamcha taking his chance to drive in a nice verbal jab. The amused look on Vegeta’s face faded, overestimating one’s own abilities had come to a head. Were these two saiyans about to make the same mistake?

Vegeta’s lips pressed into a line. “While I do appreciate the banter of you morons, I do not have time for games,” He uncrossed his arms letting them fall to his side. “So I will ask you simply this, Where. Are. The. Dragon balls?” Enunciating every word very carefully. “This will be the last time I ask before I let Nappa turn you all into red pasta sauce on the ground, and don’t think that your minor increase in power will be enough.”

  
His scouter was already clearly reading their power levels and it wasn’t going to play out quite the way they were expecting. “To make this really clear, you all barely have a power level near two thousand. Even combined that’s not enough to best Nappa and certainly not enough to even make me break a sweat. Now, do the smart thing before you cause more pain to this world's inhabitants by your lack of understanding.”

“What exactly does that mean?” Krillin dared to ask. 

“Simply put, you bald runt, I will begin decimating this planet's population of worthless humans. Whatever modecrum of potential you possess does not reflect upon the rest of your king. You are naught but chaff before the scythe and I will not hesitate to cull this planet of life to get what I want.”

“So you think massacring innocent people justifies your own selfish goals? They have nothing to do with this.” Tien said staunchly keeping his own anger in check. The sheer barbarity of these saiyans. 

His words made Nappa laugh but Vegeta remained stoic. The burlier saiyan decided to interject, “I know you weaklings think you know everything, it always is with your type. But simply put we are stronger, we take and do what we want with whatever we want and if you want to survive you do whatever you have to. I don’t expect a bunch of nobodies to understand how the big picture works. Now what’s your answer?”

“Even if we could give you the dragon balls. You’re too late, we already used them to revive Goku and Chi-Chi so… tough break but you wasted the trip here.” Piccolo started moving to take off his turban and other armor. 

“Vegeta, it appears our new friends don’t want to share.” Nappa cackled, turning to look towards the prince who appeared none too pleased. “Mind if I kill ‘em all?”

Exhaling, Vegeta just rubbed the bridge of his nose.  _ Dealing with idiots is giving me a headache.  _ “I don’t mind if you kill them later, for now make it hurt. They know something but probably aren’t going to tell us. But importantly keep the Namekian alive, he’s going to be important to our goal of immortality.”

“You want a piece, Vegeta?” Nappa offered, he’d been waiting to crush some skulls since they landed. Those bug men really didn’t fill the void. Humanoids always sounded so much better when you made their heads and backs pop under pressure, unlike bugs. 

“No, I believe you can handle this, and besides, I’ll be watching out for our fool of a saiyan Kakarot and the woman he's tainted himself with.” Moving several steps away Vegeta said down on a rock moving to start prioritizing and strategizing their next move as the humans clearly weren’t going to just be good little aliens and do the right thing and tell him what they wanted.

“I don’t know why you humans are so eager to throw your short lives away, but far be it from me to think like a fucking fool.” Vegeta shook his head, delays were expected but never enjoyed. “Nappa, feel free to get the Earthlings to talk.”

Nappa’s lip pulled back into a twisted grin, “Oh don’t you want any Prince Vegeta?” He wasn’t above a little bit of hard hitting and arm twisting but the prince seemed to be less willing to start breaking bones to get his way. It was uncharacteristic, but he didn’t offer any objection if he was told to have a little fun.

“No, I’ll be thinking of more creative methods to extract the information if you don’t succeed,” he closed his eyes and lowered his tone. “Do not kill them yet, they know who we are and why we’re here. Expecting other worthless creatures on this planet to understand I doubt will bear fruit, and with such obvious power I don’t believe that the lower lifeforms would be so willing to remain quiet.”  _ ‘The promise of such power, a wish would imbalance many things on a weak world. Immortality, power, and the list goes on.’ _

Bringing his arm forward, Nappa cracked his elbow and wrist. “Alright… well it seems we will get more acquainted. Now which one of you wants to take the first shot at Nappa?” Laughing, the brute kept walking forward. The eagerness for what was to come showing in his rapidly spreading grin. Bringing his finger up to the side of his scouter he tapped it to get a more accurate reading of their power levels. 

Scanning between the humans and the lone Namek he was getting ready to make his choice on who was going to start this dance.

“Thoughts?” Krillin said, looking to Tien and Yamcha. They were being advanced upon and the time for stalling appeared to be up.

“Taking him on one at a time is suicide.” Yamcha replied not taking his eyes off Nappa. 

“I agree,” Tien said, “Spread attack then. Keep him tied up and draw him away and stall for more time. It’s our only option.”

“WIth you Tien.” Chaotzu said sliding around to make a four man front.

Krillin looked to his friends. “Good luck guys.” They all smiled and then charged.

Piccolo didn’t join in to help, he had to keep his attention focused elsewhere, and preserving their strongest warrior was more important. 

Tien came in first, Nappa not taking them seriously - and why would he - as he casually raised up an arm to defend himself. The punch met a brick wall, Tien’s entire body shook as the impact reverberated from his head down to his toes. “Put your back into it,” the mocking voice of Nappa came in clear but the saiyan had to begin ‘defending’ himself though he was scarcely putting his all into it. 

Blocking and dodging the onslaught of attacks, Nappa could keep up a decent pace and might even break a sweat. “Well at least you guys got some balls to attack me.” Yamcha came in quick from the side swinging hard to the right, blocked by the knee and kept off balance as the space around their enemy was limited.

The ground often made for a second opponent, the veteran warrior knowing that if he went airborne he’d only offer up another avenue of attack. Taking the blows meant for his side and face without too much trouble. 

Chaotzu rounded skimming a kick right over the bald head, leaving Krillin who pulled up to drive his fist into the other palm. “Not bad, but you guys aren’t-” He then phased out of sight, “Fast!” His foot kicked Krillin to the ground. “Enough!” Yamcha and Tien had their heads slammed together. “Yet!” He then threw a heavy blow into Chatozu knocking him up into the air.

All four humans hit the ground relatively together. 

“So, feel like talking yet?” Nappa said more than satisfied with himself as he took a moment to enjoy his work. Instant art and the only utensils he needed were his fists.

“Sorry, I forgot what you asked for?” Yamcha said doing his best to be a little cocky after having his bell rung. 

“Oh. How-.” He caught him flush with a punch to the head knocking him back to the ground creating a long crack in the ground. “About that? Did it help?” Looming over the downed bandit, he watched as the cobwebs began to clear.

“I don’t know, felt kinda weak as a reminder.” Yamcha kept his cool arrogance up as he saw the saiyan’s amusement grow. 

“Well th-” A blast of ki slammed straight into Nappa’s back, it didn’t hurt but it made the giant stagger. His foot planting just beside Yamcha’s head as Tien had both of his palms aimed together. “Oh so,” He started only to be hit from behind again, once again he stumbled but this time he had Krillin and Chaotzu ready for him. 

Rapidly punching into his unprotected chest. The two kept up the flurry, as the saiyan off balanced by the two strikes which had proven to pack more of a punch than he had been expecting. Krillin slipped in a punch to the face which actually knocked the brute’s face to the side and left a scratch.

Chatozu then hit both of his feet into Nappa’s torso making him nearly flop. But much like Goku, a saiyan didn’t mind getting hit a few times. Throwing himself upwards, the saiyan created distance forcing them to chase him. Drawing the fight to a more favorable oncoming assault as the two shorter Z arriors took the lead and charged.

“So you want to stop playing?! Alright fine!” Swinging his arm forward nailing Krillin who threw up a guard which sent him plummeting back down from the sheer force. But he managed to flip before impact and springboard back up.

Chaotzu had the full attention of Nappa for a few seconds, but this was something that had been practiced before. Drawing both of his hands to his face. “SOLAR FLARE!”

With the other Z Fighters not looking at the attack, they were able to continue their advance. Nappa however, was not so lucky. Crying out in pain as his eyes burned violently, he covered his face with both hands as the intense burning was comparable to his face being licked by flames and his eyes having liquid fire poured into them.

He was completely vulnerable, Tien and Yamcha hammered their fists into the burly saiyan’s stomach repeatedly. Chaotzu kicked at the side of his opponent’s face while Krillin returned from below and began slamming into his back.

Blinded and in pain from the quick turn of the tides Nappa was left to swiping in the air in vain, but it didn’t have any effect as from below they heard the signal.

“Scatter!” All four pulled back their hands quickly glowing brightly with ki as from below Piccolo took aim. Two fingers pressed to his forehead. “SPECIAL-!”

Nappa’s eyes managed to open as his scouter sprang to life warning him of imminent danger. “BEAM-!” Angered by the cheap trick, and being degraded in front of his prince by a no good group of worthless back water humanoids! 

  
“CANNON-!” Piccolo’s hand shot forwards the massive spiral beam erupting from his two extended fingers as the other four humans laid into Nappa with their own attack. There was nowhere for him to run.

Vegeta watched on with a less than amused scowl on his face as all five synchronized attacks left his subordinate vulnerable. Five direct hits, the strongest coming from the Namek whose power level spiked over four thousand with each human reaching above twenty five hundred at the same time.  _ ‘Suppressing their strength… tch go figure, the work of cowards.’  _

With the thunder of a lightning bolt, the resulting attack exploded in a violent burst. The ground split apart and the clouds broke around them as the resulting waves of energy flowed outwards. Leaving only dirt and blackened smoke ebbing away from the center of the impact. 

“Good work guys.” Krillin called out, a bit of pep in his voice, the excitement of their little plan coming to work perfectly.  _ ‘We had gotten it to work on Piccolo, I guess all bad guys just have that superiority complex that allows them to think they can just walk all over you.’  _

“Nice job Krillin, Chaotzu good on you for keeping a level head.” Yamcha said, throwing them a thumbs up.  _ ‘We can do this, we can’ _

Confidence was surging in the Z Fighters. If they could beat the biggest saiyan then they could surely beat the small one. They just knew it, nothing could stop them if they were working together.

“Before you start celebrating!” A booming voice cut in, “I’d suggest you make sure you finish what you started!” It was Vegeta and he was looking squarely at the figure that began to appear in the center of the calamity five way attack.

A very much alive Nappa hovered, his armor having been shattered leaving half of his lower chest plate remaining, legs scorched and some long cuts along the rest of his body. His hands had large burn marks on the backside as he had covered up with just enough time to handle the blasts before it took full effect. 

“I’ll admit… that did a little more than sting.” The slightly wounded Nappa grumbled, his once playful demeanor shifting into a low threatening growl. Dropping his guard his face turned into a fierce scowl, his upper lip pulling up. “I hope you’re ready to get a real taste of a fight!”

“Shit-!” Krillin said as Nappa flipped around and dropped a cross blow with his leg. Tossing up another hand towards Chaotzu he blasted him head on, the small warrior terrified and took the full force of Nappa’s attack sending him shooting backwards.

Yamcha and Tien quickly set upon him though he wasn’t pulling his punches quite like before. But Piccolo joined in, the three of them putting Nappa into a rolling brawl. He hit Tien with a hook, but Piccolo drove a hard uppercut into his exposed side. Turning his head to engage the Namekian, he was struck rapidly by minor flashes of Yamcha’s wolf fang fist. Leaving red lines as the strikes cut into his exposed flesh. The loss of his armor was telling.

Swiping his arm to clear space, Nappa was pressured as he just barely whiffed, missing Yamcha’s head which lolled back and delivered a fist to the nose. Blood spraying from the sensitive injury. But it only made Nappa become angry as his face was now red.

Bellowing a war cry, Nappa reared back for a death blow but was caught as Krillin and Chaotzu teamed up, one latching onto his wrist while the other locked onto his bicep. Slowing his progress and letting Tien and Piccolo resume their beating.

A double kick from the two men in green and purple sent Nappa burrowing into the ground. A trench several feet wide and twice as deep as the group once again aimed their combined special attacks. If once was enough to injure him, twice could cripple him. 

“At once!” “Right-!” The four humans yelled following Piccolo’s lead. 

But Nappa was having none of it. Drawing into his own ki, the now humiliated saiyan at the hands of the weaklings threw up his hand and snapped up both of his fingers. The attack was as quick as it was devastating. The area of effect shattered the surrounding landscape and burst upwards, it caught the Z ighters off guard. They abandoned their attack and protected themselves as the full explosion made contact.

Nappa righted himself up off the ground, now standing a head above over his now equally grounded opponents. “How’d that feel? Pretty explosive right?” Nappa chuckled as Piccolo held his shoulder, Yamcha and Tien now on one knee as Krillin and Chaotzu slowly returned setting up their front lines once again.

“Damn he’s like a brick wall that just keeps taking it.” Krillin commented wincing as his one eye was half lidded. Fighting through the pain already coursing over his face. 

Piccolo agreed with the runt, but he just watched as Nappa dusted himself off, and then proceeded to break off his remaining armor and toss it to the side, discarding the now defunct piece of equipment.  _ ‘All five of us barely managed to put a dent in this son of a bitch.’  _ He might not exactly know what their plans were going to be if Goku and Chi-Chi did not arrive soon, but even still how strong were they going to be?

“I can direct a full tri beam, it’s a new technique I have been working on. Combining multi form I can launch a triple attack if you guys can draw me some space and time to get it ready.” Tien offered, the desperation they were starting to feel showing. He was trying to put forth the options they might have.

“Good as any right now.” Piccolo figured, “You three good?” Looking to Yamcha, Krillin, and Chaotzu who were all now at his side.

“Do we really have a choice?” Yamcha said, exasperated and shaking his head. But Nappa helped answer that question by charging them. Tien quickly retreated and began concentrating, his body beginning to glow as he began to split his body into seperate forms.

Barrelling into another full brawl, the four of them set about delaying Nappa. But the saiyan wasn’t taking them lightly, and Nappa was still not allowed to kill them. A small benefit, but the brute was taking every chance to deliver maximum pain.

A kick to the groin, a finger to the eyes, an elbow to the gut. While an honorable saiyan warrior, when asked to perform a task in order to get someone to talk. He’d learned valued lessons on how to inflict maximum pain.

But his attention slipped as Tien had moved into three sides. Each one of his separate conscious forms aiming their hands directly at the brawl. He could see the clear cheap shots and it was pissing him off but it only made the veins on his forehead and hands begin to swell as he directed his energies towards his target. 

Sweeping all of their legs save Krillin who was the last to be nearly hit met the full force of Nappa’s toes nailing him square in the chin. Flipping end over end until landed head first into the ground.

_ “TRI-BEAM-!”  _

“Not this shit again!” Nappa shouted, seeing the two versions of Tien in front of him. But as all the voices shouted equally, the saiyan missed the third behind him. The triangular attack sparked outwards as the three blasts all connected simultaneously. The one striking him from behind knocked him forwards and caused him to drop to a knee. “Ergh!” He growled his teeth grit as his back was now cut deeper with fresh blood running from a new injury. But his adrenaline was pumping, a real fight. He could see the three forms charging up again, but this time there was going to be no repeat. Aiming his one fist forwards he hurled another blast towards one of the Tien multiforms. The oncoming strike was not ready to be deflected by a far weaker Tien. 

Chaotzu watched as the blast hit Tien head on, or more correctly, right forearm on. Blood spurted from the now missing limb as it was blasted clean off. The unnatural angle of the blast did not allow it to be closed as Tien’s right arm had been mangled just past the elbow.

Stunned for a brief moment, Tien's forms all shot back into a singular form still missing his arm which caused him to scream out in pain.

“Oh, that had to hurt.” Nappa said pleased with himself. Yamcha, Krillin all rushed to protect him but Nappa didn’t advance upon them to kill him. Piccolo took a place far to the side. Tien’s unfettered screaming did little to calm the growing tension as the saiyan righted himself. “Don’t worry… you will all get your turn.”

[***]

“Chi-Chi! Look!” Goku called out, his face slick with sweat, getting her attention as she peered forward. Not blessed with Goku’s natural saiyan sight, she took another moment to notice. “Is that?”

“It’s the lookout! We’re there!” he cried out happily, they had been blasting full boar for only who knew how long. The strain was nothing to be brushed aside.

Still moving at full speed Goku and Chi-Chi shot over the heads of those working inside. The effects sending papers, employees, and spirits all over the place. They crossed the threshold past King Yemma startling him slightly as the couple saw the figure of Kami appear just beyond them.

“You made it!” Kami exclaimed having felt their presence arrive at the check in station from Earth. “Quickly both of you take my arm.” The two did and in the manner of a few seconds vanished from the otherworld.

  
Reappearing back on Earth, Goku and Chi-Chi didn't hesitate and leapt from lookout and flew downwards. Their pace reached Korin’s tower shortly after, the white cat tossing them a small bag of senzu beans. “My last ones, make them count!” The white cat yelled as Goku caught the bag.

“Thanks Korin!” Popping one out he tossed another to Chi-Chi, leaving only two beans left. Quickly chomping down on the magical spud, refreshing their bodies to new. But Goku could already feel that they hadn’t come quickly enough, despite the blistering pace. “Seems like the saiyans are already here.” The two massive powers unfamiliar to Goku were clearly not that of his friends… of which he could feel faintly little of.  _ ‘Damn I hope we didn’t arrive too late!’  _ Goku didn’t want to imagine that he and Chi-Chi hadn’t come just to fail the people they were supposed to help protect.

“Keep a clear head, Goku, I can still sense some of them. We can’t lose focus, let’s just keep our heads on our goal for right now.” They were still linked and she knew exactly what was going through him. It was probably close to how he was feeling when she had been taken. But they couldn’t let the last year of their brutal journey be wasted on what could’ve been. They had to deal with the present.

Smiling, Goku nodded at her, “You’re right. We’re still here and together I know we can do this.” That she most definitely agreed with. Both then concentrated their energies and headed directly towards the biggest battle of their lives.

[***]

The massive spike in power had been registered clearly on both Vegeta and Nappa’s scouters. The angered Nappa, missing a portion of his arm and suffering some deep lacerations from his battle, stood over the broken body of Tien.

Chatozu’s final sacrifice had intended on being a mortal wound but the resulting explosion had only severed half of the Saiyan’s arm. Returning the favor from what had been done to his good friend. But that had only made the vicious beating of Tien even more painful as Nappa stomped him into oblivion while Krillin, Yamcha, and Piccolo were barely able to keep themselves standing. The fighting had become less than a street fight and one side was just forced to keep taking this constant abuse.

Vegeta’s eyes widened, and his jaw slipped for a moment, the huge power level that had just arrived, was not alone. “No, that’s, that’s just impossible.” He couldn’t fathom just how powerful these two energy sources were.

“Heh… knew they’d make it.” Yamcha said, barely managing a grin as he lay on the ground. 

Vegeta heard the comment and snarled, “That can’t be fucking Kakarot. They were weaker than Raditz!” It was mind boggling to just believe that any creature could improve that much, so fast.

“Vegeta, that power level it’s over e-” “Shut your mouth Nappa!” Cutting him off, things were going to get out of hand now. He’d underestimated his opponents, now he had to take appropriate action. “Kill them all Nappa.”

“Wait what?” The saiyan was confused, perhaps his head had been hit hard too. “But what abou-”

“He’s a Namekian, we’ll simply head to Namek and find the fucking dragon balls there. It’s the fabled wish of the planet Namek. It was only myth, but now I know that we can find dragon balls there as well. So kill them all, we can’t allow Kakarot and them to team up and become any measure of a threat.”

“They practically took my arm off already, I think they are-”

“I don’t want to hear your excuses for getting sloppy Nappa, now shut up and kill them!” The prince barked his orders as his scouter continued blipping on the enormous powers heading towards him. Despite what he wouldn’t believe possible. The third class saiyan was proving to be quite the painful thorn in his side… but options were being made available.

His eyes cast a glare towards the one armed saiyan.  _ ‘Tools only last as long as they stay sharp and useful.’  _

Missing the cold calculating glare he had on his back, Nappa began marching his way towards the remaining three. “Well I would say I’m sorry to see you go, but since you little shits did this-” Pointing to the mangled limb, “-I’m going to take great pleasure in killing you.”

“Pity, I thought you actually enjoyed our company.” Krillin said with a snicker. 

“At one point shorty, but unfortunately you don’t seem to be willing to return that favor.” With that the burly saiyan charged. His heavy war cry shook as he first kicked the downed Yamcha into the air, pulling back his arm at the same time. Planning on dropping a killing combo to the easiest target.

But from his side Piccolo, knowing he had to keep his allies alive until support came back, smoked the side of Nappa’s face with a burst of ki. The singed skin left by the yellow blast had the saiyan’s full attention instead of the falling Yamcha who hit the ground with an unceremoniously thud.

“Fine Namek, take my devastator- Blast!” Throwing his hand forward a burst of bright ki shot from the good palm. Rippling outwards from the conal attack there was no room to dodge. Piccolo was left to just attempt to tank the blast.

The resulting explosion tore a gut wrenching scream from the Namekian, his arms slipped open and the overwhelming energy pulped his internal organs and boiled his blood from the inside. It was as painful as his voice declared it as when the smoke cleared Piccolo’s mouth was hanging open, body shaking before falling to his knees and then right onto his face. Blank white eyes stared out from the now expressionless Piccolo who had taken Nappa’s blast and failed to survive it. His death signaled Kami’s end on the other side of the planet as the guardian had fortunately brought Earth’s best hope before fading into nothing.

“Well that just leaves you.” Nappa leered as he stalked towards Krillin. “I hope you’ve said your prayers.” The heavy crunch of his boots only came closer and closer; they felt like a drum in the smaller earthling’s head as he watched the sun become eclipsed by the giant bald saiyan. Towering over him like he was but an ant.

“Don’t worry I’ll squish you so fast you won’t feel a thing.” Nappa laughed, slowly raising up his boot. Krillin was far too drained and weak to make that last ditch roll for freedom, but he also doubted that this closer even if he did move, what was the point. Nappa was going to kill him and there was nothing that he could do to stop it. Closing his eyes Krillin just waited for death.

Nappa just snorted as he hefted more onto his one leg before driving his boot down with all the force he could muster, except when his soles touched the ground there was no satisfying crunch. Naught but dirt stained his boots as the saiyan who looked around confused only to see Krillin safe floating on a golden cloud.

“Whoa where the hell did that come from?” Having missed the thing entirely, Nappa was unsure what to make of it until his scouter alerted him to the two new presences that had just joined the field. “Damn.” He cussed looking towards the power levels, it was Kakarot and his woman.

Goku surveyed the scene and it was left with only a dismal sight to behold. Piccolo was dead, Tien was dead, and Chaotzu was missing as well. Yamcha was still barely alive along with Krillin had he not directed Nimbus to save Krillin there would’ve been but one more fatality. His gaze turned upon the saiyans. The same body armor and features showing that they were indeed the ones that his brother had warned were going to be heading to Earth.

Chi-Chi remained quiet, her eyes seeing that they hadn’t arrived in time either. But they had still arrived.

Descending down from the sky, Goku and Chi-Chi touched down in unison. They entered a staring contest with the two saiyans who locked eyes back on them. “So Kakarot, you’ve appeared at last. Though I will admit you took longer than expected.” Vegeta remarked, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t suppose you’ve come to your true saiyan senses and kneel before me. If you do swear fealty here and now I might forgive your indiscretions and let you serve your prince.”

“You’re no prince to me. I don’t even know who you are.” Goku retorted, obvious disgust in his words.

“I am your prince, I am Vegeta, the prince of all saiyans. Whether you know it or not you were born to serve my will like all other saiyans. Now reconsider the offer to beg for clemency, Kakarot. If not I will not spare you, this world, your friends, and especially the woman. They will all die for the actions you take in the next few moments.”

His words only made Goku’s face harden, “You’re just like my brother. You don’t care for anyone but yourself and you came to Earth and hurt people.”

“I take it that your answer is no?” Vegeta had assumed this was going to be the outcome, but he had not wanted to be dissapointed. Goku said nothing, his ire was all Vegeta was given. Shaking his head, “Alright Nappa, deal with them.”

Even missing a part of his arm, Nappa wasn’t deterred from a good fight. The stronger an opponent, the stronger a saiyan becomes. Once his arm was regenerated he would increase in power, but Kakarot’s power, while impressive, didn’t outmatch his. 

Chi-Chi, however, took a step forward. Standing beside Goku she raised up her hand. “I’ll take care of the big one. You handle the other one.” Her eyes not shifting from the burly form, his injuries would make her task easier. “Sure Chi-Chi.” Goku said, grasping her hand. The two of them began to let their auras meld, Chi-Chi and Goku’s linked power strengthened as Chi-Chi’s white aura grew from out around her body. Releasing a scream she felt the tremendous rush of power surging through her as Goku gave her strength that she could not normally reach. 

Watching the interaction, Nappa could only view his scouter climb again, higher and higher. It was becoming readily apparent that Kakarot’s woman was more than just a pretty face. It soared until his scouter exploded leaving him in shock. “WHAT?!”

Chi-Chi rocketed forward, she wasn’t going to waste words as she surged with so much power, Goku only turned to Vegeta who gave an annoyed look back at the third class saiyan. However, the prince made no effort to help his partner or fight Goku. He wanted to see the battle and just how this little woman would fair.

Nappa punched, giving it a real effort but his arm passed over Chi-Chi’s shoulder, her brown eyes staring into his body seemed to be moving too slow.  _ Missing that she was moving just that fast. _

Krillin and Yamcha watched from their spectator position as Chi-Chi moved even faster than anything they had seen. But their surprise was only given a greater shock to their system as Nappa was launched backwards, his body skipping across the ground. Using his good hand to steady himself and get ready to meet the next attack head on. His hand clenched he pulled back to swing again but as Chi-Chi surged forward she vanished from sight. “Where-?!” His eyes trying to follow her as his scouter was now no longer able to serve him.

“Behind you.” The voice came as Chi-Chi slammed her foot into the back of his neck. It sent Nappa slamming his face first into the ground. Landing on her feet, Chi-Chi’s face was glowing and Goku if he didn’t already feel it through the link knew why. All of the hard work of the past year was paying off and in spades.

Spitting out a mouthful of dirt, the injured saiyan pushed himself up with his one good arm and looked back towards the woman who had just humiliated him, not simply because of the hit, but in fact a woman, and the frail kind too. A low snarl barely containing the malice that he had rolling through his veins looked back towards the woman and his veins began to bulge.

His day had gone from decent, the prospect of immortality now further away, he’d lost an arm to mere weaklings. This was only adding to that disgrace.

Without restraint he swung, but he missed as Chi-Chi dodged to the side, watching as he was practically in slow motion as Chi-Chi threw her own fist towards him.

Vegeta watched in disgust as Nappa was sent flying back towards him. The prince casually held up a hand catching the brutish form of his partner, before dropping him back to the ground with cold indifference. This was getting interesting as it was humiliating. “Plan on standing up for yourself Nappa?” He didn’t even bother looking down as Nappa got back up slowly, obviously the pain from the days’ battle showing.

“Fucking bitch, I’ll kill her.” He growled his own aura beginning to crackle around him like thunder. 

“Oh are you going to actually start trying now?” Veget mocked as Nappa withheld the urge to throw his prince a dirty look. Knowing if he did so he would suffer quite the beating.

Focusing his power, Nappa's body began to exude a dull yellow glow. Surrounding his flesh. The ground began to slowly shake until it finally popped. Vegeta was unaffected as the burst of power flattened the ground several inches down and hundreds of feet across.

Goku remained where he was, watching with a building eagerness. She was going to have a real fight now, and he felt the blood pumping in his veins as well as hers. To see Chi-Chi standing resolute, powerful, and undaunted, he couldn’t help but have the stirrings of lust and longing come back to him. She looked so… beautiful.

With a final cry Nappa launched himself forward, moving twice as fast as before, and his first strike aimed straight for Chi-Chi.

  
Krillin and Yamcha, who were still down but not out, heard the crack as the impact came. Chi-Chi had been hit but their eyes were wide, as only her head was tilted backwards. She hadn’t attempted to block him.

Nappa and Vegeta realized it too, watching as her head slowly rolled back forwards. Nappa had busted her lip, but if that had been it there was nothing else showing. “That’s all you got?” Bringing up her thumb she wiped away some of the blood and stared at the remnants before rubbing it off on her fingers.

“You-!” His head was smacked to the side, before a knee caught him square in the chest. He was rolling from the force of the heavy blows only to have Chi-Chi drive up her foot and send him hurtling back up into the air.

It was then Chi-Chi decided to turn things up. “KAIO-KEN!” Her body burst with its bright red aura, her muscles bulging and straining as the new rush of power came forth like a damn bursting. Her body awash in red flames. 

Nappa scarcely had a chance to recover before being beset upon by Chi-Chi, she was in his face and hammering him. A punch to the jaw, a cross to the cheek, a hook to the temple. The barrage was coming even faster as she continued to pound Nappa relentlessly.

Blood spurted from his nose, his body began to creak as a rib broke, then another, and then he was hit by a heavy two handed blow straight to his head sending him careening down to the ground. 

As he impacted upon the ground, Nappa looked up and watched Chi-Chi draw her hands behind her back. “KA-ME-” A bright blue glow erupted from between her palms. “HA-ME!”

He struggled to rise, sensing that this little woman wasn’t going to be holding back. But as he rose up he heard her scream. “HA-!” The massive burst of power screeched downwards in a spiral as Nappa threw up a hasty defense but it broke apart like glass as the explosion rocked the entire area Blasting the saiyan into the air and landing just feet away, bleeding, and broken by his prince.

Panting heavily, Chi-Chi let the surge of power almost deflate like a balloon as she slowly lowered herself down to the ground. Her feet a little tingly but either than that she still felt great as she stopped beside Goku. “How was that?” She asked, giving him a thumbs up.

He scooped her up in his arms surprising her, spinning her around. “Oh Chi-Chi, you looked absolutely amazing! It was so great to watch you fight that…” His words became a ramble of all the things she had just done, but he was so ecstatic and joyful that he couldn’t help but tell her just how stunning she had been. 

  
“Oh Goku, thanks.” She blushed but as Vegeta made no move towards them and Nappa was barely able to move she figured,  _ ‘What the hell’  _ Leaning down she gave him a kiss on the lips. Goku reacted surprised but only for a second before drawing her into a deep kiss. Wrapping his arms completely around her. She could taste his happiness just as well as he could her own.

Vegeta scoffed, partially revolted by the display but more so by the one beside him. “H-Hey V-Vegeta?” Nappa raised his one good arm up to him. “A l-li-little help?” Vegeta reached down and grasped the larger saiyans outstretched hand. “Th-Thanks Ahh-!” Vegeta then hurled him up into the air. “No, NO VEGETA DON’T!” Already he could see the look in the prince’s eyes. Pleading was all he could do.

“See you in hell, Nappa!” Vegeta cried holding up a flat palm with his thumb pressed along the middle, with not but disdain as one would have for crushing an insect beneath their foot Vegeta unleashed his devastating attack. The ball ripped upwards before exploding, taking what remained of Nappa to the afterlife. “Hmph.”  _ Rubbish. _

Goku and Chi-Chi watched a little shocked by the action, they both had figured they were allies but apparently that alliance was not as strong as one would believe.

“So, it seems I might have to get my hands dirty after all.” Vegeta cracked his neck. “But you could just kneel before me, the two of you, and I might be merciful… afterall I can respect some talent even when it comes from a world such as this.” His lips pulled back into a grin as he saw Kakarot step forward.


	6. Two As One

Krillin helped up Yamcha, who was barely able to stand on his own. From where they had just been not too long ago, beaten, broken, and on the very precipese of complete defeat. The saiyans were showing no mercy and enjoying their brutal nature, wel, the large one Nappa was. The other just sat back and watched with a mixture of brodem and contempt from his rock.

“Doesn’t seem real does it?” Krillin remarked, looking at how Goku and Chi-Chi were now standing across from the long remaining opponent. 

Yamcha managed a weak chuckle, “No, but that’s impossible. We trained so hard and we barely brought the big guy down for more than a few seconds. Chi-Chi shows up and completely wrecks him and makes us all look like fools. I know Goku and Chi-Chi were training to get stronger, but how does that happen?”

“No idea,” Krillin added, helping Yamcha move further away from the chaos about to unfold in front of them. “But man, if that was Chi-Chi, just imagine how strong Goku is, he has to be insanely powerful now.”

That thought hadn’t crossed his mind. “Yeah, if Chi-Chi is just sweating after a few minutes with that big bastard and I know Goku is suppressing his power because there’s no way Goku is showing his full hand. He always has some new trick or some ridiculous strength to show off, it’s always how he's been since I’ve known him.”

Goku had always amazed everyone, even considering that Goku was an alien. He had never been one to take the back seat or stand off to the side when there was a challenge in front of him. It was what made their friend someone more than unique. “Whatever that training was, I certainly want some of that.”

“You and me both,” As they made it, a minimal safe distance away they rested, their bodies beaten up pretty badly but they weren’t going to be dying anytime soon. While it did little to undo the damage that their friends had already suffered. Tien and Chaotzu were dead, Piccolo had also been felled leaving the planet with no dragon balls either. Whatever their plans would be from here would have involved finding a planet Namek that they heard the saiyans talk about.

If they were going to believe some bloodthirsty saiyan, however, they didn’t have much else to go off of at the moment.

That saiyan was staring down the last and best line of defense. Goku and Chi-Chi. “Hn, I suppose that I shouldn’t be surprised by this turn of events, Kakarot, considering you were responsible for your brother’s death. But you are a third class, what could I truly expect from you?” Vegeta raised up his arms and laughed, those his mockery meant for the situation rather than his opponent who cared little about his heritage. “You won’t consider kneeling before me? I can promise you will remain alive as long as you prove useful to me, and as a side benefit I’ll even let you keep that little hellcat of yours.” It made Chi-Chi give him an angry scowl which only further amused the prince.

“Well, if I beat you I won’t have to do that and still have Chi-Chi. Besides, you killed your friend, how could I ever trust you?” 

  
“Ha ha ha.” Vegeta laughed. “Friend? No, Kakarot, there are no friends. Nappa was merely an asset and one that had used itself up, and it’s a far cry from the abilities of that dead fool to myself. I am the prince of all saiyans and if you don’t take me up on my offer your death will be much worse than his.” His smile dropped into a neutral mask. His amusement ending, turning his voice serious. “Make your choice, this will not be offered again.”

“Thanks, but no thanks.” Goku didn’t hesitate to reject Vegeta who just shook his head. 

“Well then, Kakarot, I hope you and the female are prepared for this battle because I promise I will not hold back.”

Goku just grinned, he cast his eyes to the side toward Chi-Chi. “Let me have this one okay?” Undoing the small brown bag from his hips as well. “You take these, we’ve only got three left and don’t want them destroyed just in case.” Tossing Chi-Chi the senzu beans, which she affixed to her own person.

“Sure, I’ll step back on this one. You just make sure to whip his butt extra hard.” Her response made Goku chuckle. Taking a leap backwards, Chi-Chi just let herself focus on channeling extra power into him and the side benefit of being able to view the fight from a separate angle allowed her to send even more information to Goku through their link. Could it be considered a little unfair?  _ ‘Not at all’  _ She told herself as Goku squared himself off against the prince.

“Alright Kakarot, I do hope you’re ready to fight a super elite.” Vegeta then drew upon his own incredible power letting it rush forwards and engulf himself as he felt the rush of energy spark from his head down to his toes. The crackle in the air and the tremors of the ground that only increased in intensity with every passing second the two stared each other down.

Vegeta’s power spiked and his mouth opened and his voice exploded in a primal roar as the ground ripped apart. Goku remained undaunted, his hands still remaining in his stance, but they began to lightly tremble as his blood rushed through his body. He could feel Vegeta’s strength increasing by the second and it was fueling a desire for a truly great fight. 

_ ‘King Kai wasn’t joking either, Vegeta is incredibly strong!’  _ He couldn’t stop himself from smiling as the ceiling for Vegeta’s power increased, but as Vegeta kept powering up his scouter continued to blip showing Goku’s strength rising at a similar rate. But what the saiyan couldn’t read was Chi-Chi’s power increasing as Goku’s did.

As the air electrified until every hair on both warrior’s bodies were completely on edge the inevitable switch was flipped and they charged one another. The ground ripped apart in front of them as their auras met and then their fists. The connection was deafening as Goku and Vegeta met, the prince’s expression blank while Goku was still grinning. Both split apart for a moment before throwing themselves back then heading right back into each other.

Neither side backed down, each one matched one another blow for blow. The prince would deflect Goku’s strike only to be met by a swift deflection of his counter attack. Both sides now realized this wasn’t going to be an easy fight, and that would make the victory all the sweeter.

The prince blocked an elbow thrown by Goku, the prince’s forearm catching the strike just behind the elbow causing Goku to glance off of him. The minor shift in angle was all he needed and attempted to catch him with a kick only to be blocked from nowhere. “Heh, that was predictable.” Goku said grinning as the two locked up their grips.

Vegeta’s face showed nothing as he just looked ahead. “Keep talking, just keep talking.” Both phased from sight as the shockwaves once again rippled outwards. Sections of dirt and stone tore free from the ground. Goku’s kick would miss and send a blast of wind like a jet fighter passing overhead. Vegeta would counter with a fist that would blow apart sections of Earth as the force missed and tore into the softer ground.

It was deafening and Chi-Chi could feel the excitement and every impact, the missed blows, the struggle and desire to begin taking control over the battle as she felt everything through that connection. Knowing Goku’s moves she could send what she knew was going on from a third person perspective that Goku could not directly see but had the ability to act upon. 

Vegeta favored hard blows, domination and control of the fight was evident but only from one viewing the fight from the outside. All of the finess, the careful practice was there but when watching the strikes and feints Chi-Chi could tell the prince was a brutal warrior. 

“Chi-Chi… Hey,” Yamcha made his way over with Krillin still supporting him. “What’s going on?”   
  
Keeping her focus mostly on the fight Chi-Chi “They’re fighting.” She said bluntly.

“Jeez we know that, but what is happening they are moving so fast and you don’t seem to be joining in. Are you holding back for some opening or special technique?” They were curious as to why they weren’t both engaging in the fight. It would make sense for them both to overwhelm Vegeta, two fighters could make everything a hell of a lot more difficult. It was partially the only reason as to why they were even still around. Their numbers, as well as Nappa’s overconfidence that didn’t let them end up being slaughtered.

“Yes and no,” Chi-Chi said, “It has to do with our training.”

Krillin and Yamcha looked at each other. “Care to explain?” 

  
Groaning inwardly, Chi-Chi looked from one of her eyes at them. “I’m helping Goku by sharing my power with him.” Then flicking her full attention back to the fight at hand. Certain Goku could feel her passing along the small hints and nudges as to Vegeta’s tactics without stepping over that invisible boundary that was pushing back against her. Goku would accept help but not interference.

Though how long her patience would remain was another thing. “Sheesh, don’t tell me Goku doesn’t want you to fight because he wants the challenge?” Krillin recalled exactly how it had been when Piccolo was revealed, refusing to accept help in his battle as it would cost him the match for the world martial arts tournament. As if that was the most important thing other than stopping the demon king at the time who wanted nothing more than complete world domination and who had been responsible for many of their friend’s deaths. 

Yamcha agreed with Krillin, both were having the exact same thought. Knowing that most guys had that male pride thing, they were all guilty of it of course, but this guy had and his friend had come here and killed Piccolo and Kami by default, causing Chaotzu to self sacrifice, and Tien to be killed as well. Plus add an entire city to the body count. “Thousands of people are dead. We can't let Goku do this, we have to strike together and end him. Goku can’t afford to be revived again, or you Chi-Chi.”

It was a good argument, and while Chi-Chi would certainly agree, she wasn’t wholly able to make that choice to interfere. “Not yet.” She told them.

“Why?!” Yamcha almost started shouting at her but knew it wasn’t probably just her choice right now but he wanted to voice his displeasure, “They beat me half to death and Piccolo along with Tien’s bodies are still warm if you haven’t forgotten.”

“I know why you’re both mad, believe me. But Goku’s emotions are affecting me and right now I can’t just jump in there.” Explaining this would be impossible, but she would give it a shot. How could you explain sharing thoughts and emotions through another person? 

“If this is about pride, forget it. The world is at stake” Krillin said his hand slashing out in the air as he vented his own frustrations. “We didn’t have it easy, we bought you guys time and now you want to just sit back and hope everything works out playing nice and fair? This wasn't a fair fight from the start!”

Growling a bit, thought it was perhaps some of the saiyan inside of her telling them that this wasn’t just about pride. “If I jump in there I might be strong, but right now Goku is leeching parts of my power to keep pace with the prince.”

The series of explosions as Vegeta drove Goku into the ground with a stomach kick only to have the saiyan below him snag his ankle and slam him into the same space beside him. Both flipped back to their feet before delivering more bone crunching blows. 

“He helped me easily overpower Nappa. It probably would’ve been slightly in my favor if Goku hadn’t, but with him out of the fight I easily beat Nappa and you guys weren’t complaining then.” A small point, but it didn’t exactly excuse the more important brawl.

“Not that I’m trying to be an asshole, Chi-Chi, but seriously this is the world we’re fucking talking about. We have as much say in all of this as you do! You can’t make the decision for the planet we fought and bled for today, so do whatever shit you have too and help Goku beat that son of a bitch for our friends and for the thousands the saiyans already killed!” Yamcha couldn’t believe this, Krillin had made a point but Chi-Chi was standing by her staying out of the fight because Goku had? What were they playing some juvenile game back in school? This was so much more serious.

“Look!” She turned her head towards them. “I know it isn’t right, but Goku wants this and since he’s the man who promised to marry me after all of this I will not get involved unless I have to.” Her bomb of a revelation made both Yamcha and Krillin’s jaws drop. “Yes me and Goku agreed to get together after all of this. We’re made for each other and with the abilities we have it’s only strengthened my love for that man. I know you can’t probably believe it, but through our training and connection that we now share he learned how to care and express his feelings for me.” Perhaps she was letting this out of the bag earlier but they were starting to annoy her a tiny tiny bit.

_ Goku’s hand skimmed across Vegeta’s before rounding around the prince. He attempted to use his size and reach but Vegeta was lightning fast reading the maneuver and slipping his arm just enough so that Goku missed his chance to strike fully as he closed the distance. Goku’s blow skipped right off and Vegeta socked him straight in the gut twisting his fist into the lines of his abs before igniting a ki blast which sent him streaking towards the ground. _

Chi-Chi brought a hand to her stomach, she felt where the blow had landed but no real pain. “You forget Goku is made of the same stuff as them and he’s being challenged.”

“So what? Aren’t you giving him strength right now? Isn’t that already interfering?” Krillin shouted, “What difference does it make?

“A big one, me and Goku fight better when we’re linked, and I know you can’t understand it but please believe me. If Goku is in danger I will help him. But we’ve had our minds and bodies connected in ways that you can’t even imagine-” Chi-Chi stopped herself as she realized what she had just said. Her face went red. “And not sexually!” She said in a harsh bark before they even had the chance to think about it for more than a few seconds.  _ Focus on the battle. Focus! _

“Kaio-ken!” Goku shouted his body bursting with the same red aura that had once engulfed Chi-Chi, exploding forward his speed and power doubling as he locked back up with Vegeta. Delivering a vicious cross to the side of the prince’s face only to be kicked under the chin by the prince’s retaliation. 

Vegeta floundered in the air for a minute, his fist clenched tightly as he suffered yet further humiliation. The low class dog dared to continue to put up a fight against his prince?  _ ‘You are nothing, Kakarot! You are NOTHING!’  _ A purple aura flared around his body as Vegeta felt the oncoming blow from Goku still engulfed in a fiery red. Doding the strike with a quick shift Vegeta drove a flat palm into his opponent's ribs and at the same time blasted him with a scorching amount of energy. 

  
The orange gi Goku wore and the blue training garb underneath was shredded into pieces leaving a large scorch mark across his skin. The cry of pain was brief as Goku’s red aura burst back like a reignited flame. The short lived agony only causing the blood from the wound made his heart hammer faster in his chest. Driving a knee upwards he decked Vegeta right in the nose, the satisfying crunch of his nose being broken and the smell of blood that was not his own filled the air.

Yet this saiyan warrior was not unused to having his nose broken. It had been done many, many times before. Shoving his head upwards, Vegeta’s forehead clashed with an echoing smack of bone on bone. Goku and Vegeta were both momentarily stunned, falling back for but a brief second to recover before throwing themselves right back at each other with renewed viciousness. 

Chi-Chi could feel a growing burn as she heard another yell from Goku. “Times TWO!” Her body began to shake as Goku’s swelled yet further.

Another devastating hook hit Vegeta, but there was no counterattack, Goku hit him again, twice, three times, then a fourth sending him skyward with several new holes added to his once prstine armor. A single line of blood fell down from Vegeta’s forehead covering a part of his vision on his eyes. WIth his hair becoming more spiked it matched the growing rage as his veins bulged. “You think your cheap tricks will defeat me, Kakarot?! Well I’m done playing around, I’m going to turn you and this whole planet into dust!”

“What?” Goku yelled as he landed on a nearby outcropping of rocks. Taking a moment before surging back into Kaio-ken. Extended use was not advised though it strained his energy using it constantly would burn up his body even with the added benefit of Chi-Chi being linked to him he wasn’t going to hurt her inadvertently.

“Let me show you, Kakarot!” Throwing his hands back, a purple orb burst behind them as Vegeta charged up one of his premiere attacks. “Go ahead and dodge this if you can, third class, but just know that if you do, you and this entire planet will be going up in smoke!”

Goku could feel the rapidly increasing energy in Vegeta. He felt what was coming, he didn’t have time to waste as Vegeta’s power rapidly eclipsed his own and went further. “Triple Kaio-ken!” Goku called out the red flames once again surged around his body as he drew back his palms. “KA-ME-HA-ME!” 

Vegeta watched with contempt as Kakarot attempted to stand defiant, but there wasn’t going to be forgiveness, not for such blatant disrespect to the ruler of the saiyan race. “You had potential. Kakarot, it’s a shame that you’re going to die because of it!”

Goku’s hands were shaking as he put more energy into without a doubt the most powerful attack he’d ever done in his life so far. Gritting his teeth, he closed his eyes for a moment.  _ ‘Chi-Chi!’ _

_ Goku? Goku do you need me-’ ‘No, I can do this, just get ready I am going to double it again. I’m not going to let him hurt anymore people. This can end it right here and now!’  _ There was a brief pause.  _ ‘Everything I have, I’ll send you what I can.’  _

Yamcha and Krillin watched as Chi-Chi began to channel her own ki. “KAIO-KEN!” The surge pulsing through her body as she closed her eyes and threw her hands towards Goku. Her heart was with him, her mind and his were but of one thought and goal. 

Without even realizing it, she mirrored Goku’s movements. Dropping down into his attack, but as she did the flicker of Kaio-ken dimmed and was almost sucked away.  _ ‘Here it is.’ _

The massive hue around Goku burst out even greater. His mouth hung agape as he screamed at the huge influx of energy.

“Same move, over and over? I’ve seen it before Kakarot. You are going to die.” His purple orb sparked, “Now-! GALICK-GUN! FIREEE-!” Roaring like a tornado, the rush of ki shot forwards, the purple energy and aura darkened the very surface of the earth, but the roaring red flame still shone brightly as Goku felt his own energy and that of Chi-Chi peak.

“TIMES SIX! HAAA-!” Goku’s muscles bulged even further, becoming almost gross distortions of their natural shape. Chi-Chi screamed as her own body suffered the repercussions but held firm as she was standing beside him. She could feel him as he felt her. As one they threw their hands together through Goku’s body.

Vegeta’s Galick gun met the massive blue orb, both impacted but as Vegeta’s confidence in his own abilities left him exposed to sheer overconfidence as his attack was checked, matched and then thrown back. The sheer intensity breaking through his blat designed to decimate entire solar systems and felt the incredible punch of the blue orb that he was left with no defense for. His energy was used up and he had no time to recover and was blasted skywards.

Chi-Chi collapsed beside Yamcha and Krillin, her body pouring sweat down her brow. Taking in large gulps of air she laid against the ground and continued to breath heavily. She could hear Yamcha and Krillin asking if she was okay but she ignored them.

_ ‘Goku?’  _ She called out but heard not response directly, but she felt him resting on one knee. He dismissed his Kaio-ken to alleviate the burden that had taxed them both quite heavily. Goku was breathing heavily through his nose, but his eyes were focused on the blue dot that was being sent into the upper stratosphere. 

_ ‘He’s-He’s still alive.’  _

Coughing, she pushed herself back up, “Hey-! Chi-Chi talk to us, what the hell just happened?” Yamcha asked, putting his hands on her shoulders. She settled back onto her backside as she continued just breathing.

“Ah-Ah- mo-mom-moment.” She said between her breaths. “Goku… he took a lot from me.”

They couldn’t follow exactly how that worked, but with how she explained their linked technique they couldn’t quite argue over that. After a few more seconds she swallowed and started breathing normally, looking up as she followed what Goku was telling her.

Yamcha and Krillin knew where his focus was, as the longer they waited the more they could feel it right now as well. Vegeta was injured, but far from dead. He came rocketing back down, his throat belting a furious scream as the echoes were carried for miles around.

His body was rejecting the massive use of power and it hurt to just stand right now but he couldn’t do much at the moment. He’d hoped that his last attack would’ve taken the fight out of Vegeta, but he’d only wounded the beast as the prince slammed back into the ground sending rock and dirt flying everywhere for dozens of meters. The impact crater dug through chunks of earth as he jumped out seething, his face burnt, his fingers bleeding from his shredded gloves. A large chunk of his right breastplate and shoulder guard were completely gone leaving naught but bruised flesh. His pants were only a loincloth with scraps hanging from his thighs and ankles.

“You think that would kill me?!” His voice breaking into a high pitched shout. “You’re a fool, Kakarot, a great big fucking fool.”  _ ‘You dare attempt to best me! ME, the mightiest saiyan in the galaxy!  _ Injured in both pride, mind, and body Vegeta had finally had enough and was ready to officially snap. Bringing up his one good hand he began to create a new ball of energy.

From where he was Goku could tell it wasn’t an attack, but whatever its purpose he couldn’t follow. “You seem surprised, guess all that training paid off.” His chuckle only made Vegeta’s other hand drip crimson blood as he clenched his fist tight enough to turn coal into diamonds.

“You think a little bit of training would be enough to best me, dog?” His lips peeled into a jagged grin, the blood dribbling down from the cuts on his face created a haunted visage. “I’ve been bathed in blood and combat since I was four, I’ve lived through hell and fought through all the shit the universe as thrown at me without batting so much as a fucking eyelash.” 

Goku did not move as he stood there, able to feel the tumultuous waves rolling off of Vegeta. The pain and anger was there but beneath that surface there was something else lying beneath the bravado exterior he showed off. “Then why are you here fighting?” 

Such a ridiculous question made Vegeta roar in laughter, “Because I’m a saiyan, something you had no clue of until your dear brother killed you?” He swiped his one hand in front of them as it cut through some barrier. “I am fighting because I need to crush you, to teach those who dare to stand against my will shall suffer!”

The earth-raised saiyan shook his head. “Then I pity you Vegeta.”

Vegeta’s sneer snapped into a berserk expression. “You! Who knows nothing about what I am or what i’ve been through has the nerve to pity me!” His voice broke into a cry as his own anger erupted. “You’ve signed your and everyone else's death warrant on this planet Kakarot!” Pulling his hand back Vegeta then hurled the orb upwards but Goku did not even have to react as it streaked upwards past him and then burst the sky. The brilliant glowing orb hovered in the air, the glowing white orb expanding many times over but as the parties still the area looked towards the ball pulsing the air. They missed the critical details of Vegeta as his eyes turned white.

Goku’s head snapped backwards as Vegeta’s body began to swell, his tan skin becoming a thick brown fur as he grew larger and larger until Goku was looking up at him, straining his neck to keep the prince’s height into perspective.

His nose became a long snout and continued to grow further and further until it became a muzzle, a large series of canines protruded from his mouth as the white of his eyes became a blood red. Any time to react had passed as Vegeta fully assumed the form of his Oozaru. In all of his bestial glory the prince unleashed a challenging warcry, he’d been pushed to his limit and now it was time to go beyond them. This was giving it his all and with all of his senses amplified Vegeta beat on his chest as he let his cries rip free to the heavens.

Goku now dwarfed by Vegeta he felt the spike in power that came from such a massive transformation. His head looked down and seemed to leer at Goku, “Just know, Kakarot, that your death will be the only thing that can be seen as saiyan and perhaps find redemption in your feeble and pathetic existence!”

Having no time to speak Goku barely dodged the tail slapped at him by Vegeta, clearing about a hundred feet with a jump only to have the massive behemoth upon him again. Goku blasted into the air, the red aura of his Kaio-ken bursting around him to give him that much more necessary boost just to keep himself one step ahead. But he couldn’t do it for long.

“Insane! He transformed like Goku did!” Krillin said his voice in disbelief and his eyes were wider than dinner plates as he viewed the giant ape Vegeta smashing through the ground as he pursued Goku.

It was also more than even Yamcha could handle, they could feel the difference in power and it was making his knees weak. “That’s crazy there’s no way Goku can take him down like that!” 

Chi-Chi said nothing, undoing the bag of senzu beans and tossing them to Krillin who slightly bobbled the brown bag as she threw them to him. “H-Hey, where-” She just shot him a glare backwards.

  
“I’m going to help, use the senzu and get out of here. Goku and I will handle it.”

“You’re crazy! Chi-Chi, we need a plan you can’t-” But it was too late, she blasted off her own body beginning to burn red as Kaio-ken ignited around her. Looking down he dropped two of the three beans from the bag and looked to Yamcha who stared back at him,  _ Son of a bitch. _

Vegeta slammed his fist through one mountain the force driving through the feet of rock and out as Goku just barely managed to get him out of the path of one blow and then feel the whisk as the other blow came from above and the prince’s gargantuan fist embedded itself twenty feet into the ground.

“Not so confident now, Kakarot!” Vegeta laughed as Goku’s red aura disappeared leaving him panting. He’d put so much into that last attack but it failed to cripple Vegeta and at the same time the longer he and Vegeta kept fighting the stronger the two of them became… except he was doing less fighting and just trying to stay alive.

But Goku just grinned, “No, I’m just waiting for an opening.” Goku said with a chuckle, his body was starting to break down after so much Kaio-ken use and just turning such power off and on was doing him little in the way of favors.

“Hah, well you can keep waiting until you DIE-!” Vegeta’s mouth opened up as he yelled and a burst of red ki fired upwards striking the rocky outcropping that Goku was throwing him backwards. But the attack was merely meant to incapacitate and not kill. As a saiyan he planned on using his fists for that.

Bearing down like a dive bomber, Vegeta surged his one hand forward, his body already anticipating the glorious connection of flesh and bone. But his face was struck from the side, snapping him off course just enough to let Goku have that extra second to react and throw himself to the side. Vegeta spun once he was forced to take flight. “Damn, what hit me?” His voice now just a guttural rumble looked around until he spotted a new firey red figure. Dodging her fist with greater speed despite the sheer size difference, Vegeta snorted. Rounding backwards, his palm smacking Chi-Chi from the sky like he was knocking away a fly.

Her guard protected her but she was blasted backwards hitting the ground until she was buried up till her midsection. “Chi-Chi!” Goku saw that she had come to help him, but his concern for her had to be put on hold as Vegeta’s gaze was brought back to him. 

“Heh, you bring the woman you’ve tainted yourself with to save you? How pathetic, can’t fight your own battles?” Vegeta stalked Goku his fists down by his side as he shook the ground. “You had better start trying harder or I’ll kill her right in front of you.” he got quite the rise out of his opponent as Kakarot headed straight towards him. The burning red aura coming closer and as he prepared to dispatch him his eyes barely caught a glimpse of the second one.

Chi-Chi was back up, she came low, he shot high. Swinging to strike them both Vegeta’s quick strike was evaded, as Goku and Chi-Chi’s close proximity only enhanced their strength further. Chi-Chi darted up as Goku went low.

The prince realized his mistake as he’d left himself open thinking he could beat them away. They both crashed into his face with a twin sided kick. His vision doubled slightly leaving him stunned as his ears rang from the impact.

Goku and Chi-Chi flipped around to his back and dropped a heavy two handed kick to the prince’s shoulder plexes. His arms buckled and made him stagger as he took a heavy step forward to balance himself.

Rounding backwards in an effort to swat them both from the sky, Vegeta then let himself appear to be drawn into their little game. Trying the same trick again, but this time they met with a burst of fire from Vegeta’s mouth and his tail crashing over his shoulder. Chi-Chi was stopped by the heat and retreated as Goku was hit over the shoulder and into the ground. 

He didn’t get a chance to recover as Vegeta’s giant foot slammed down on top of him. It gifted the prince with a very useful piece of information.

Chi-Chi cried out in pain as she slowed almost doubling over as she clutched at her back. The prince noticed and then drew his foot up again- to be greeted by another powerful cry of pain as Chi-Chi slipped from the sky, her red aura fading as she grit her teeth through an intense pain.

Releasing a deeply amused laugh, Vegeta withdrew his foot from Goku who was buried several feet down face first into solid rock. “So Kakaort, would you like to explain to me how your little woman over there suffers whenever I put you through pain?”    
  
Pushing himself up, Goku made an attempt to rise up from the ground but a burly hand sunk through the solid rock like it was wet sand and plucked him up and into one full fist. “A foolish effort to oppose your better third class. Just like how I warned you!” holding Goku just a meter from his face.

_ ‘Goku… the pain… your replasing from Kaio-ken and it’s tearing me up.’  _ Her voice was panicked as she was on her knees about a hundred yards away. The added agony of Vegeta beating the hell out of Goku was causing a vicious backlash. The closer they were and drawing on one another the more traumatic the pain would become as both felt it.

_ ‘Break-Break the link-!’  _ He called out to her, but he was unable to continue as Vegeta’s hand clenched around Goku’s body. The pressure made the saiyan scream as all of his bones and organs were compacted into themselves slowly and in turn Chi-Chi released a painful scream, her arms wrapping around her body. It was like waves of convulsions and spasms that she could not control. 

“HAHAHA! Oh this is amusing… normally breaking a man’s loved ones in front of them helps with teaching them a lesson.” He brought his other hand around his fist holding Goku’s body. “But since she feels everything you feel, I wonder who will break first. You or her?” His face leaned into Goku allowing his rank breath to wash over his opponent but that was the least of his troubles. 

Goku tried to sever the link but the pain blocked him, as Chi-Chi’s scrambled thoughts were lost in the blind pain that was rocked by their connected bodies. Each one tried to compensate for the other by taking that burden but when it was overloading them both they didn’t have the chance to hold back down on how much they screamed.

Being squeezed like a toy he felt his ribs pop into his lungs as one broke, the effect was instant and Chi-Chi started coughing up blood. Her body locking up as if she was being crushed all the same. “How much more can she take?” Vegeta laughed before squeezing down on Goku’s lower legs and heard the ear piercing wail as Chi-Chi’s own leg began to break. 

“IT HURTS, DEAR KAMI, IT HURTS!” She trashed around making the giant Oozaru more delighted. 

“Heh heh,” Vegeta brushed one thumb against Goku’s head. “How about I see if your neck will break first… or hers?” As he spun Goku around to see Chi-Chi struggling with the pain. “What do you think, Kakarot?”

“No… No more. St-Stop hurting her!” Goku pleaded unable to view the way Chi-Chi’s body was contorted in such obvious agony. The flood of memories on how Raditz intended to use Chi-Chi as a means of making him be punished for refusing to do as he asked was even more painful, and though she agreed to come here Goku didn’t think witnessing this would be so cruel. 

His heart was being crushed in two ways. One from Vegeta and two from that very same beast. He didn't want to see those he cared about being hurt, and not so cruelly. From just a friend she and him had bonded so deeply, and connected on such a level that Goku never wished to lose that feeling. But as Vegeta began to wrench down upon him he felt his eyes burning with tears as he was helpless and watching as Chi-Chi screamed as her neck was bulging as if she were in his place and he knew… her body couldn’t handle much more. 

“Just one little push Kakarot… Let’s see-” “NNNNOOOOO-” Goku screamed as Vegeta laughed as his finger began to rotate-! 

The Oozaru jumped, his grip becoming but a fraction of life ending power before. He caught a glimpse of a yellow golden disk sailing just below where Vegeta had once been standing. 

  
“You missed!” Yamcha yelled seeing that Krillin’s attack had gone close but nowhere near a hit. Krillin had used the senzu bean and tried to get off a sneak attack but somehow Vegeta had avoided it.

“Hnn, these giant ears of mine don’t just frame my face you pathetic Earthlings.” He turned back around still holding Goku. Looking between the now rejuvenated warriors, though curious how they had recovered it didn’t bother him. They were scarcely a challenge for Nappa. They had nothing against him while transformed. “But since you want to get involved I’ll be more than happy to give you a very painful reminder you little bald human.”

Gritting his teeth, Krillin raised his hand back above his head again attempting to gather another destructive disk but, Vegeta unleashed a shotgun spread of ki blasts from his hand. The orbs peppering the landscape leaving basketball to car sized craters as he fired indiscriminately at the now fleeing Krillin.

Yamcha remained partially concealed waiting for his chance which was- The hand firing at Krillin shifted and now pointed towards him. “Thought I forgot about you?” 

_ SHIIIT-!  _ Yamcha broke away from the location in a mad dash to create space as the prince toyed with him. Taking pleasure in returning some of his earlier pain at their hands. With Kakarot and his woman down there was nothing that could threaten him.

Tossing Goku aside like a rag doll, his body skidding across the ground, his one leg twisted at an odd angle, two of his ribs were visibly caved in and his arm was dislocated from one of its shoulder sockets. Chi-Chi still looked worse than him. “Chi…” Goku called out to her weakly. Outstretching his only good arm to her.

She didn’t respond to her body remaining still but Goku could tell she wasn’t dead, her body had given into its pain and had rendered her unconscious. The thuds of Vegeta’s walking away left Goku with enough time to drag himself ten or twenty meters towards her, each one was nail biting agony but he did make it close enough to her. 

“Stay- Stay with me.” He told her, but she still didn’t move. Goku now had his chance, bringing his head to hers Goku felt through their link. Following the path that they had created many times before and then- like being struck by a car Goku felt his agony return almost tenfold. His pain was no longer hers and he rolled onto his back to endure his suffering.

Chi-Chi maybe ten seconds later found herself able to open her eyes but immediately felt the void in herself. “Goku-!” She cried out pulling herself onto her knees to him. “Goku, why did you break the link?!”

There was no response to give as he just clenched his teeth and eyes in an attempt to bare it. His body was damaged, her own body was just a barrier that was absorbing it, though she was suffering a broken arm and leg she wasn’t crippled like he was, laid out in a miserable heap on the ground.

Looking up from her position, she watched as Vegeta pursued Krillin and Yamcha, the two had come at the last second… which left her with only so much time. Taking her one good arm she pushed herself up, a bit shaky but she managed to stand haphazardly on one leg.  _ I have no choice now… Mother Earth, Please hear my words and answer me with your power! _

Vegeta dodged another destructo disk sent towards him, the bladed attack cutting through a small mountain pillar like a hot knife through butter before flying off into the air. “Yes, run, run, you dogs.”

Yamcha jumped out from the side holding his volleyball attack and threw it straight towards Vegeta, the massive Oozaru pulled his head to the side. Letting it zip past him. “Not impress-” Vegeta started only to have the blast slam back into his head, like an anvil it banged against his skull once dazing him before slamming in and out, two or three more times. Yamcha’s fingers maneuvering the controllable attack as Krillin did his best to get into position above their target.

“Maggot-!” Vegeta blasted, his energy exploding nearby and sending the scarred fighter rolling end over end across the ground. 

Krillin now floating in the air cupped his hands around his mouth. “HEY UGLY-!” Getting the burly saiyan to turn his head up towards him with an annoyed sneer on his snout. “Watch this-!” 

“You're going to throw another frisbee badly? Keep trying, I’m sure it’ll work.” Raising up one large partially gloved paw towards Krillin who remained in position but snapped both of his hands with spread fingers alongside his face as Vegeta stared directly at him.

“No, but SOLAR FLARE!” 

The burst of pure illumination of both the sun and Vegeta’s glowing ball turned his entire vision white and left his eyes feeling as if they had been set on fire. It was a flesh tearing scream as Vegeta clutched at his massive face with his paws and dug into them in some vain attempt to alleviate the inferno that was dancing across his face.


End file.
